President John Mahama Appoints Business Titan Kojo Choi as Ghana’s Ambassador-Designate to South Korea sparking widespread questioning of the competence of Ghanaian-born individuals to hold same position.
President John Mahama appointed Kojo Choi, a seasoned entrepreneur and naturalized Ghanaian with Korean heritage, as Ghana’s Ambassador-designate to the Republic of South Korea. The announcement, made on July 24, 2025, by #TV3GH and #GhanaTrends, marks a significant departure from traditional diplomatic appointments, blending private-sector expertise with international relations.
Choi, who has lived in Ghana since childhood and attended local institutions such as SOS Hermann Gmeiner International College, brings over 20 years of business experience to the role. His leadership of PaySwitch, a key player in Ghana’s fintech sector processing international card schemes, aligns with the region’s booming digital economy. A 2023 World Bank report highlights fintech growth in Sub-Saharan Africa at an impressive 24% annually, suggesting Choi’s appointment could harness technology to strengthen Ghana-South Korea trade ties under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
X Post: President John Mahama Appoints Kojo Choi as Ghana’s Ambassador-Designate to South Korea
Ghana Appoints Business Titan Kojo Choi as Ambassador-Designate to South Korea #GhanaTrends #3NewsGH pic.twitter.com/uyr17RL2se
— GhanaTrends.com (@GhanaTrendsInc) July 25, 2025
Born to a South Korean father and Ghanaian mother, Choi’s deep roots in Ghana and his fluency in local culture challenge conventional expectations of diplomatic roles typically reserved for career diplomats. His multifaceted career includes advisory roles for multinational companies and the Korean Embassy in Ghana, spanning telecommunications, financial technologies, and marketing communications. This appointment is part of a broader diplomatic reshuffle, with seven other ambassadorial and high commissioner designates named in a letter signed by Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama.
The decision has sparked mixed reactions on social media platform X. While some, like @Ghanabeans, celebrate Choi’s childhood ties to Ghana with nostalgic school photos, others, such as @Kaff_007, question the appointment of a naturalized citizen, citing stricter citizenship policies in Asian countries. Supporters, including @snow_blvk, urge Choi to leverage his business acumen to attract investment to Ghana, while @tuffguy_1 praises the move as a merit-based strategy over partisan appointments.
A 2021 study in the Journal of International Relations supports this approach, noting that countries integrating business expertise into diplomacy see a 15% increase in bilateral trade. Choi’s appointment could thus counter criticisms of nepotism or tribalism, positioning him as a bridge between Ghana’s growing economy and South Korea’s technological prowess. As Ghana prepares for this new era of trade diplomacy, all eyes will be on Choi to deliver on his potential to elevate bilateral relations.
