Seoul, SOUTH KOREA – Ethiopia and South Korea have a growing relationship built years ago during the Korean War, the Ethiopian ambassador to South Korea said in a recent visit to Seoul.
Ambassador Dessie Dukalmo gave the Youngsan Special Lecture about the Korean War in a July visit to the War Memorial of Korea.
The Ethiopian ambassador provided a detailed presentation about Ethiopia’s assistance to South Korea during the Korean War and briefly touched upon Ethiopia’s history.
Dukalmo explained how an estimated 6,037 soldiers traveled across the world to aid South Korea during the war. The motivation to send this aid, according to Dukalmo, was out of a sense of empathy. When Italy invaded Ethiopia during the Italo-Ethiopian War, Ethiopia received no aid and did not want South Korea to suffer the same.
Ethiopia was the only African country to send ground troops during the Korean War, despite their difficult domestic situation at that time.
This Imperial Battalion, made up of 1,200 Royal Guards, was created and named Kagnew by the then-leader of Ethiopia, Emperor Haile Selassie, who died in 1974.
Kagnew means “being difficult to penetrate or to strike a fatal hit,” and true to their name, no member of this battalion was ever taken as a prisoner of war because they were ordered to either fight until death or die with glory, but to never be captured by the enemy.
To show the mutual supportive relationship between the two countries, there were also several Ethiopian children who previously suffered from Atrial Septal Defects in attendance because they all received fully-funded surgeries from The Yoido Full Gospel Church (여의도순복음교회). The church is a member of a compassion program for Korean War veterans called the Korean War Veterans Memorial Association.
One of the Ethiopian children who attended, seven-year-old Tekaren Mehret Bezuayet, is the granddaughter of Tekaren Woldae Aregay, who participated in the Korean War.
According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veteran Affairs, Capt. Mamo Habtewold, now 81 years old, was a young lieutenant in the 3rd Kagnew Battalion and clearly recalled the moment when he was about to leave for the other side of the world.
“Always when a battalion went to Korea, he [Haile Selassie] came himself and made a speech and he gave each battalion a flag – and he ordered us to bring that flag back from Korea,” the Ministry quoted Habtewold as saying.
And 70 years later, Ethiopia and South Korea’s international relations seem to only be getting stronger, especially after the recent summit that was held in Seoul this past June.
The Africa and Korea 2024 Summit’s theme was “The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity.” It was the first time Korea invited African leaders to cultivate collaboration and solidarity between the countries.
The African Development Bank Group has stated that the Summit aspired to discuss collaborative solutions with South Korea to promote collective strength and solidarity for sustainable development.
Speaking with Youth Journalism International, the Ethiopian ambassador answered questions about the current status of the Ethio-Korean alliance. The relationship has strengthened since the Korean War, he said.
The ambassador said that there have been many exchanges of prominent figures between the two countries, including a recent visits from the Ethiopian prime minister.
Josephine Yein Lee is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
