▲ Angolan Ambassador to South Korea Sianga Kivuila Samuel Abilio poses for a photo during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on May 19, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ This AFP file photo shows a general view of operations at the mineral terminal of the Port of Lobito, operated by the Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium, on April 22, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ Angolan Ambassador to South Korea Sianga Kivuila Samuel Abilio speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on May 19, 2026. (Yonhap)

(Yonhap Interview) Angolan ambassador

(Yonhap Interview) Angola to prioritize crude oil supply to S. Korea amid Middle East crisis: envoy

SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- Angola is willing to provide South Korea with greater crude oil supplies to help ease its supply woes amid the Middle East crisis, which could serve as a basis for longer-term bilateral energy cooperation, the African nation's envoy to South Korea has said.

Angolan Ambassador to South Korea Sianga Kivuila Samuel Abilio made the remarks in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on Tuesday, as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has heightened the need for Seoul to diversify its energy supply chains.

"The spot market can help in the short term if disruptions occur in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. South Korean refineries could turn to Angolan spot cargoes to meet immediate needs," Abilio said.

"Instead of selling them to different companies, we can direct sales specifically to Korea to satisfy your needs," the ambassador said, noting that his country could play a complementary supplier role given limitations related to committed production, export capacity and logistics.

Angola and Seoul's foreign ministry have discussed the issue, and the South Korean government is expected to help connect Korean firms with Sonangol, Angola's state-owned oil company, he added.

"The spot market is a good way to begin cooperation. Once we are used to that, we can also try to develop our cooperation on a long-term basis because we're still conducting exploration."

While Angola is sub-Saharan Africa's second-largest oil producer after Nigeria, much of its oil sector was developed through major Chinese financing, and a significant portion of its crude production is tied to long-term supply commitments linked to loan repayments to China.

The critical minerals sector is another area in which the two countries could cooperate.

Angola is known for its abundance in reserves of critical minerals, including lithium and rare earth elements crucial for high-tech industries, and the Angolan government is making major investments in the sector to diversify its economy beyond oil and diamonds, according to the ambassador.

"Mining activity is still in its growth phase, and the country aims to become an important player in the global market for minerals linked to the energy transition," Abilio said.

He also called for active participation by South Korean companies in the Lobito Corridor project, a major railway and logistics network linking Angola's Atlantic port of Lobito with mineral-rich regions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.

"South Korean companies can participate in the project, as South Korea is actually very well positioned here because the project needs exactly what Korean firms are strong at: rail systems, ports, construction, digital infrastructure and industrial equipment," the ambassador said.

"The corridor is fundamentally about copper and cobalt, which are essential for EV batteries, electronics and renewable energy systems. Korean companies, especially battery supply chain players, could secure long-term mineral offtake agreements, refining partnerships," he added.

Ahead of the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting scheduled for June 1-2, Abilio called on Seoul to take bolder steps toward market opening in order to expand economic cooperation with African countries.

"The customs tariffs and other trade barriers imposed by South Korea on African products have become a matter of concern for several African governments," the ambassador said, calling for tariff reductions, greater access to the South Korean market, technology transfer and increased investment in strategic sectors, among other measures.

South Korea and Angola established diplomatic relations in 1992, and the two countries have since strengthened cooperation as mutually complementary partners, particularly in resources and technology. Angolan President Joao Lourenco identified South Korea as one of Angola's 12 key cooperation partners in his inaugural speech in 2017.

"Korea has enormous potential and valuable experience. Korea achieved remarkable development through hard work, discipline and industrialization. Africa needs Korean technology, Korean work discipline and Korean training systems. Those are extremely important for us," Abilio said.

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