One of the fruitful diplomacy and remarkable historical incident depicted on the page of history is the relation between Ethiopia and Republic of Korea. The relationship that is based on blood pact is now manifested in all round cooperation and partnership in a wide range of development endeavors the current world demands.
The diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and South Korea dates back to the 1950s in which Ethiopia sent its peacekeeping troops during the Korean War. The bilateral relations have been steadily growing in economic and cultural areas especially after the removal of Ethiopia’s military regime in 1991.
The South Korean government has been granting job training opportunities and scholarship for descendants of Ethiopian veterans of the Korean War.
The Ethiopian Kagnew Battalions fought as part of the United Nations Command during the Korean War. Members of Kagnew Battalion were, with few exceptions, drawn from the Ethiopian Imperial Bodyguard Division.
According to Abebe, Dagmawi, The Emperor’s Own : The History of the Ethiopian Imperial Bodyguard Battalion in the Korean War, the battalions rotated yearly, with the First Kagnew Battalion arriving at the front in 1951. The Third Kagnew Battalion which arrived in
1953, stayed through the signing of the armistice into 1954.
This month, Ethiopians have donated blood to show solidarity with S. Korea amid COVID-19 outbreak. According to arirrang, the group of around 15 Ethiopians visited a blood center in central Seoul.With the number of donors in Korea falling sharply due to the COVID-19 outbreak, these good-hearted people have helped out by giving their blood, according to arirrang.com. They say they have decided to do this not only to encourage other foreigners to take part, but also because Ethiopia has special ties with South Korea.
“In history Koreans and Ethiopians have their own history like suffering the war in 1952. Our grandfathers came here to support Korea so we wanted to continue that legacy to the next generation or this one,” one of the Ethiopians said.
At present, the relation between the two countries continues to bloom in various development endeavors and diplomatic engagements for shared benefits. Ethiopia is also being served as a strategic partner for Korea in deepening and promoting its role in Africa.
To advance the increasing cooperation in investment, trade, technology transfer, training, capacity building and experience sharing, the Korean government has opened facilitation offices such as KOPIA, KOICA, KOTRA, and others. The two countries have demonstrated strong interest to advance the bilateral relationship to a new level and to further strengthen development cooperation.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited South Korea last August. Back in November last year, The Ethiopia-South Korea Business Forum was held in Addis Ababa. Attended by over ninety Ethiopian and South Korean company representatives, the forum aimed to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) and strengthening business-to-business relations between the two countries.
Expediting the implementation of the pending investment expansion and protection agreement between the two countries would be indispensable in attracting foreign investors, said Lim Hoon-Min, South Korean Ambassador to Ethiopia.
The balance of trade between Ethiopia and South Korea has reached $1.8 billion in 2018, albeit a trade deficit in Ethiopia’s side, according to the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations. Ethiopia exports coffee, oilseed crops and cereals to South Korea, importing medicine, machinery and electronic equipment.
South Korea has transformed from an agrarian economy into a leading industrial economy in a short time span and is now a model for its rapid economic development and vibrant democracy.
The Ethiopian Herald April 2/2020
BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
