Ethiopians come to Seoul to learn urban policies

The Seoul metropolitan government will export its policy knowhow to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

A 22-member delegation led by the mayor of Addis Ababa, Diriba Kuma will visit Korea on Monday to study urban policies, Seoul city said on Sunday.

The delegation will stay in Korea until Sept. 8. The Seoul metropolitan government plans a week-long session to share best policy cases and provide customized program. Since early August, 23 Addis Ababa officials and national university professors have been learning urban policies on traffic, housing and the environment at the University of Seoul for four weeks.

Through this trip, the city of Addis Ababa plans to apply Seoul’s urban planning policies to Ethiopia and provide training to entire officials in the country. Ethiopia, the political leader in African politics and a coffee producing country, has been rapidly growing at the annual average rate of eight to 10 percent for the recent decade. However, the rapid urbanization has brought various problems in traffic, housing and land development, and officials are struggling with the issues due to the lack of experience.

“Ethiopia has a high potential given that the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) forecast the country will become the largest economy in Africa by 2050,” said Lee Byeong-han, an international cooperation officer of the Seoul metropolitan government. “We will share Seoul’s knowhow to help cities in emerging countries make sustainable urban development for them.”

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