Dukamo, Ethiopian Ambassador to Korea, Visits Gyeongju ... 'Supporting APEC Summit Hosting'

Joo Nak-young, the mayor of Gyeongju, met with Dessie Dalkie Dukamo, the Ambassador of Ethiopia to Korea, and his delegation during their visit to Gyeongju on the 30th of last month.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Ethiopia, the only African country that sent troops to Korea during the Korean War, has maintained a close relationship with Korea.

Joo Nak-young, Mayor of Gyeongju City, is meeting with Dukamo, the Ethiopian Ambassador to Korea, handing over his doctoral dissertation and taking a commemorative photo together.

Mayor Joo said, “Young Ethiopian soldiers fought for Korea, a country they had never met, during the Korean War and won every war they participated in,” adding, “As this year is a meaningful one marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries, I hope this visit will serve as an opportunity to contribute to future cooperation between the two nations.”

In particular, regarding Ambassador Dessie Dalkie Dukamo’s efforts to promote the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement) in Ethiopia after receiving training at Yeungnam University in 2015 while serving as governor of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPRS), Mayor Joo presented the ambassador with a doctoral dissertation collection on the Saemaul Undong, which was directly researched targeting African countries.

Mayor Joo also emphasized, “Gyeongju, a representative historical and cultural tourism city of the Republic of Korea, where future industries such as nuclear power and electric vehicles coexist, is the optimal location for the APEC Summit,” and requested much interest and support for Gyeongju’s bid to host the APEC Summit.

In response, Ambassador Dessie Dalkie Dukamo expressed gratitude for receiving the doctoral dissertation collection personally written by Mayor Joo and said, “Ethiopia, as a country with great growth potential, hopes to develop cooperative relations with Gyeongju,” adding, “I support Gyeongju’s bid to host the 2025 APEC Summit and its successful holding.”

During a four-day schedule visiting major cities in North Gyeongsang Province, the Ethiopian ambassador and his delegation visited key locations in Gyeongju, including the Gyeongju National Museum and the Gyeongju World Culture Expo, before returning to Seoul.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.