A Visit to the KOICA office in Algeria: An inspiring learning experience exploring sustainable development programs and international cooperation.
2025-06-03After participating last year in the 6th edition of the WEKO (We Are KOICA) program, a volunteer program organized by the KOICA office (the Korea International Cooperation Agency), my curiosity about the KOICA office and the projects it undertakes grew.
WEKO is one of the most important programs, as approximately 30 participants from around the world are selected to promote the Sustainable Development Goals and KOICA's development projects. The program lasted for 6 months, from August to December. This sparked my desire to explore the KOICA office in Algeria and the work and programs it undertakes. Therefore, I contacted the office to arrange a visit. My request was gratefully accepted, and I visited the office on February 25th.
KOICA's office in Algeria opened in 2006. Since then, KOICA has implemented numerous development projects in Algeria in various fields, including education, agriculture, and farming. To learn more about the office's activities, my friends Sojeong Yun and Seokyung Choi, both trainees at KOICA's office in Algeria, welcomed me to the office. They took me on a tour of the office and then kindly answered my questions.
I first asked them what inspired them to work with KOICA, Seokyung Choi said, "I've worked in international development before. I interned for seven months with KOICA, and that's what made me fall in love with this field. After studying French and diplomacy, I wanted to work with foreign languages, especially French, so I chose Algeria. It also helped me gain experience in multiple fields". Sojeong Yun answered that she studied sociology and political science, adding, "Through my studies, I learned about international cooperation, and KOICA is one of the most prominent Korean agencies working in this field. I really want to contribute to Korea's peaceful development, and that's why I'm working with KOICA".
To learn more about the office, I asked them about the main areas they focus on at KOICA in Algeria. Sojeong Yun said, "We have undertaken many projects in Algeria since the office opened. Currently, we have three major projects we are working on in cooperation with the Algerian government: the air pollution monitoring project, the information security project, which involves establishing a security center at the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, and the development of the Algerian police investigation system".
When asked about their views on how KOICA contributes to sustainable development in Algeria, Sojeong Yun said, "KOICA is trying to make Algeria more sustainable by diversifying the various fields in which it contributes with various projects. We recently started a project in the cement industry, which aims to improve the efficiency and production of factories while also making them more environmentally friendly", Seokyung Choi added, "This is not just a Korean issue; it is a global issue. Sustainable development is necessary everywhere, and we at KOICA are undertaking projects to achieve sustainable development here, such as the cement project my colleague mentioned".
When I asked them about the most important and unique project for them, they agreed that each project has its own significance, but the shrimp farm project in the Algerian desert is the largest, most unique, and most successful, especially given the impressive and unique results they have achieved. Concluding our conversation, they expressed their happiness about the strong communication between Korea and Algeria and the special relationship between the two countries.
My visit to the KOICA office was a unique and special experience, where I learned about the office's activities and its staff. I thank the office team, especially my friends Seokyung Choi and Sojeong Yun, for the great work they are doing to achieve development in Algeria.
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