Saemaul Invitation Training Program requested by the UN WFP Guinea Office

18 participants including senior government officials, NGO workers, and WFP staff from Guinea

From classroom lectures to field experience, strengthening rural development through Saemaul Undong

[June 18, 2025]

 A training delegation from Guinea visited Yeungnam University (President CHOI Oe-chool) to study Korea’s Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement).

 The program, titled the “2025 WFP Guinea Office Saemaul Invitation Training Program,” is hosted by YU’s Institute for International Development Cooperation (IIDC) and runs from June 11 to 20.

 The training program includes eight high-level Guinean government officials, such as the Director of Agriculture and Livestock in Boké Region, Director of Agricultural Operations, Gender and Social Inclusion Expert for the Commercial Agriculture Development Project, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation for the National School Feeding Program, and Deputy Director of the National Directorate of Family Health and Nutrition. In addition, three NGO representatives, three village leaders affiliated with the WFP Guinea Office, and four WFP staff members are participating—for a total of 18 participants. These individuals are key personnel in the “Zero Hunger Village (ZHV)” project and will receive training focused on the theories and implementation strategies of Saemaul Undong. 

As part of efforts to share Korea’s development experience, the World Food Programme (WFP) officially began adopting Saemaul Undong in 2011 as part of its Zero Hunger strategy. The model has since gained traction in multiple countries, including Guinea. At the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit, several African leaders expressed appreciation to the Korean government, noting that their youth had studied Saemaul Undong at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS) and were now contributing to their home countries’ development.

 Korea and Guinea both began receiving WFP assistance in 1964. Within two decades, Korea graduated from WFP aid and became a model for self-reliant development with international support. Meanwhile, Guinea continues to work with global organizations and partners to pursue its development goals. The current training is receiving high praise for giving Guinean leaders and professionals the opportunity to directly experience Korea’s remarkable transformation.

 This is not the first collaboration between YU and Guinea’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. In July 2023, President CHOI Oe-chool met with Guinea’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Mamoudou Nagnalen Barry, during his visit to Korea for the K-Rice Belt Ministerial Conference. They discussed the importance of training Saemaul experts and agreed to deepen cooperation. In May of the same year, Minister Felix Lamah and his delegation signed an MOU with YU to foster Saemaul education and potentially establish a Saemaul Studies department at a Guinean university. With Guinea positioning Saemaul Undong at the core of its rural development strategy, this latest training represents a crucial step toward more concrete and practical cooperation.

 Notably, the training was initiated at the request of the WFP Guinea Office, thanks in large part to the efforts of Ms. SAVANE Kadijah, who graduated from PSPS in August 2023. After joining the WFP Guinea Office, she actively applied the knowledge and experience she had gained at YU to integrate Saemaul Undong practices into local initiatives. Through her continued dedication, she successfully secured World Bank funding, which made this training program a reality. This serves as a leading example of how Saemaul studies are producing tangible outcomes in international cooperation and development diplomacy.

 Guinea is also the starting point of Korea’s K-Rice Belt initiative, which aims to eradicate hunger in Africa by transferring Korean agricultural technologies and practices to countries that rely on rice imports. Compared to Guinea’s traditional rice farming methods, the adoption of Korean “Tongil” rice varieties and Saemaul principles has resulted in over 500% yield increases. This YU training is expected to empower Guinean agricultural officials with insights into Korea’s agricultural innovations and Saemaul philosophy, providing practical support for advancing the K-Rice Belt project and positively influencing agricultural policy reform in Guinea.

<Guinean trainees participating in a rice planting activity.>

 The training program began on June 12 with a special lecture by President CHOI Oe-chool on the principles and strategies of Saemaul Undong. It covers a range of topics, including rural innovation, agricultural policy, rural finance, and food security. The program also includes field visits to YU’s campus and museum, the Saemaul Movement Memorial Park in Cheongdo (the birthplace of Saemaul Undong), the lunch service facilities at Seongam Elementary School in Gyeongsan, rice planting at the Southern Crop Division of the National Institute of Crop Science in Miryang, and a tour of the rice processing center in Sangju. Participants will also draft and present Action Plans tailored to Guinea’s context, with the aim of applying their learning to the local ZHV projects.

Habib THIAM, Director of Agriculture and Livestock for Boké Region in Guinea, remarked, “Guinea possesses rich agricultural resources, but we haven’t been able to fully utilize them. This training is deeply meaningful, as it allows us to systematically learn the philosophy of Saemaul Undong and Korea’s development experience. President CHOI’s lecture, in particular, offered profound insights that moved me like a life lesson. Comparing what I’ve learned to Guinea’s reality has been eye-opening,” he said. “I will strive to improve agricultural policies in Guinea and contribute to regional development based on what I have learned here.”

President CHOI Oe-chool stated, “Saemaul Undong has evolved beyond a local development model into a global poverty alleviation strategy. By systematizing Saemaul as an academic discipline, YU has continuously provided Saemaul development education and training to developing countries. I hope the participants will gain the capacity to lead change in Guinea through Korea’s development experiences and Saemaul philosophy. Our outstanding alumni, now working in international organizations, are becoming pioneers of educational diplomacy, enhancing Korea’s global reputation. YU will continue doing its utmost to cultivate such talented individuals.”

 YU’s IIDC, which oversees this program, provides short-term programs covering both the theory and practical implementation of Saemaul Undong for government officials and local leaders from developing countries. To date, over 3,400 participants from 50 countries have completed the program, which has made significant contributions to increasing household income and strengthening community capacity in partner countries.