Young South Korean university students have today performed Korean pop concert and cultural events in Addis Ababa in gratitude of Ethiopian soldiers who participated in the Korean War.

The Korean War started in June 1950 where Ethiopia has participated along with some countries under the UN built a coalition at the behest of Emperior HaileSelassie I.

According to the Korean Patriots and Veteran Affairs Ministry, some 3,520 Ethiopian soldiers have been participated in the war.

The show was performed at the former Genete Leul Palace, were Emperior Haile Selassie used to live while he was a regent, later he offered it to the Addis Ababa University.

Several Ethiopian students have also attended the concert organized as part of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Korea.

Volunteer and Team Manager Yesung Kwak, 23 from Seol said that she is honored to meet and perform K-POP in front of Ethiopian war veterans, whom she said gave their life to Korea.

According to her, the new generations of Korean youth is greatly benefited from the love and sacrifice they paid in blood.

The reason we call our group name Happyopia is to wish happiness to the new generations of Ethiopians, she said. We also want them to know that we didn’t forget the sacrifice that their fathers paid to us, she added.

International Youth Fellowship (IWF), Ethiopia Chairman, JaeHyub Kim on his part said it has been 60 years since Korea-Ethiopia started diplomatic relationships.

The reasons we organize this concert is because cultural programs like this one helps boost youth to youth relationship between the two countries, he said.

We Koreans do not forget the sacrifice Ethiopian veterans make to our freedom, he said, adding now Korea is among the riches countries in the world, the Chairman indicated.

Ethiopian Korean Veteran Association, Deputy President, Major Tefera Nigussie said when we were their Korea was almost ruined and strife with poverty. Their economic success is a proof that they have greatly utilized the sacrifice paid to them, and I am proud to be a Korean veteran, he added.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency