Ethiopia and South Korea established diplomatic relations on December 23,[1] 1963.[2]
South Korea has had an embassy in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa since 1965.[3] Ethiopia also has an embassy in South Korea's capital Seoul.[4]
According to a 2019 article, around 1,000 Ethiopians lived in South Korea.[5] Around 400 studied in the country on various scholarships.[5]
In 2018, a direct flight opened between South Korea's port city of Incheon and Addis Ababa.[6]
Korean War
editEthiopia was part of the United Nations Command that came to South Korea's aid during the 1950–1953 Korean War. It sent an infantry battalion consisting of 6,037 soldiers.[5] Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie sent his elite Kagnew Battalion to the country.[2] They reportedly took place in 253 battles and were never defeated, with 121 deaths and 500 injuries.[5] None were captured.[2] Ethiopian soldiers remained in South Korea after the 1953 ceasefire to assist in the country's rebuilding.[5]
Various monuments in South Korea commemorate Ethiopia's assistance to South Korea during the war, including the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul.[5] A monument to the Korean War soldiers was erected in Addis Ababa.[2]
The city of Chuncheon has since become tied with Ethiopia,[7] and a number of monuments exist to the country and its role in the Korean War. In May 1968, Chuncheon erected a monument dedicated to the sacrifices of the Kagnew Battalion. Haile Selassie was present at its unveiling.[2] An Ethiopia-gil (Ethiopia Road) is also present in Chuncheon.[2] In 2007, the Memorial Hall for Ethiopian Veterans in the Korean War was opened in Chuncheon. It has two floors, with the first floor highlighting Ethiopia's role in the war, and the second highlighting Ethiopia's culture.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea-Middle East and Africa". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "한국국제교류재단 KF". www.kf.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "주 에티오피아 대한민국 대사관 겸 주아프리카연합 대한민국 대표부". Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "주한에티오피아대사관 : 네이버 통합검색".
- ^ a b c d e f g "History of Ethiopian and South Korean relations". Ethiopia Observer. 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "Ambassador's GreetingsEmbassy of the Republic of Korea to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Mission of the Republic of Korea to the African Union". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ Si-jin, Lee (2024-01-25). "Bond with Ethiopia lives on in Chuncheon". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-30.