ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (VISNEWS)
GV EXTERIOR Novotel Abidjan building
CU Sign "Exposition Korea Trade Centre"
GV INTERIOR Korean cars on sale
GV Africans looking at Korean vehicles on sale (4 shots)
SV ZOOM INTO CU Korean salesman talking to prospective African customers
SV African being shown Korean products
SV Korean tyres
SVs Korean clothes (2 shots)
SV Africans being shown hardware goods
SV Stand of materials
Koreans talking to Africans
SVs & PAN Household goods (2 shots)
CU & PAN Korean telephones
SV & PAN AROUND Exhibition

Background: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST INTRODUCTION: A four day trade exhibition of South Korean goods opened in Abidjan, capital of the Ivory Coast, on Monday (12 October). It is part of an export drive by the Koreans to develop new markets in Africa for their goods.
SYNOPSIS: The Trade Exhibition was opened at the Novotel Centre by the Ambassador for the Republic of Korea, S.E.M. Tong Man Kwun.
The exhibition was organised by the Korean Centre for Foreign Commerce (KOTRA) and was designed to give Ivory Coast businessmen an appreciation of the style and quality of Korean goods. The Koreans are anxious to expand their exports to Africa and will take the exhibition on to the Cameroons and Zaire before returning the Seoul.
The Korean salesman took a wide range of goods with them to show their prospective customers in Africa. Items such as electrical products and construction materials, even clothes and footware, have all made a strong impression on the Africans.
Korea's determination to increase their export trade has recently been praised by the World Bank. The bank said Korea is an example of a country which achieved spectacular results in growth, led by exports. The World Bank believes the experience of Korea in foreign market together with a devaluation in 1974, led to further gains in export market shares.
The exhibition in Abidjan was so large, it created a space problem with the number of displays. The 15 firms represented were all among the top manufacturers in Korea.
Although many of the goods may not have direct application to the markets in countries such as the Ivory Coast, the Koreans told their African hosts they are confident of the future. Cities like Abidjan are now developing quickly with growing populations and industries. And the Koreans believe they can create a demand for their goods.
InitialsBB Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved