Busan, South Korea — July 13, 2026 — The Minister of Youth and Sports, Atty. Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah met with Rev. Dr. Ock Soo Park, Founder of the International Youth Fellowship (IYF), on the sidelines of her visit to South Korea this week, opening a new chapter in the relationship between the Ministry and the global youth organization.
During the meeting, Minister Kruah committed the Ministry to identifying and securing land for the construction of a similar IYF youth center in Liberia, and extended an invitation for IYF leadership to visit the country to explore the partnership further.
The two sides also identified two concrete areas for collaboration. Dr. Park, on behalf of IYF, expressed particular interest in an agricultural partnership, noting Korea’s agricultural expertise and techniques that the organization is prepared to help adapt to the Liberian context. IYF also offered help to Liberian students identify and pursue technical training opportunities matched to their own interests and career goals, spanning a wide range of fields under the Ministry’s TVET programming.
Both sides agreed to formalize the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding. Atty. Kruah will coordinate directly with Jinsung Kim, West Africa Director, and Sungjae Kim, Liberia’s Country Director, to advance the MOU process.
“Every partnership we build abroad has to answer one question: what does it mean for a young Liberian at home?” said Minister Kruah. “This conversation gave us real answers on land, on agriculture, on technical training. Now the work is to turn that into an agreement we can execute.”
IYF, founded in 2001 and now active in more than ninety countries, has built youth centers across Africa, including a flagship facility in Ghana, and another currently under construction in Benin, combining leadership training, vocational education, and community programming.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports will provide further updates as the partnership develops.
Signed:
P. Oxford Brown, Sr.
Director of Public Affairs
