"Helping Countries in Need Makes a Developed Nation" Lim Jong-sik, Gyeongbuk Superintendent of Education, Promotes Cooperation Visit to Ethiopia

Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Office of Education, has declared 2024 as the inaugural year of the global education standard K-EDU and is continuing his extensive efforts to implement it.

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education delegation (led by Superintendent Lim Jong-sik), currently visiting Ethiopia for digital education exchange cooperation, visited the Korean Embassy in Ethiopia-AU (Ambassador Jung Kang) on the 9th local time to strengthen the exchange and cooperation system by sharing diplomatic relations between the two countries and the regional situation.

Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Education, is taking a commemorative photo after signing a memorandum of understanding with Ayereche Eshet, Minister of Education of Ethiopia.

They then visited the Korean War Veterans Memorial Park (located in the capital Addis Ababa) to honor the unconditional dedication and sacrifice of the veterans and paid respects at the war memorial.

Superintendent Lim toured the exhibition hall displaying photos and war supplies showcasing the activities during the Korean War, along with the Korean language classroom educating over 7,000 descendants of veterans, accompanied by Ha Ok-seon, head of the veterans support branch.

On that day, the support association warmly welcomed the delegation with performances starting with a choir of about 20 descendants of veterans, followed by idol dances and shows that vividly conveyed the Korean Wave.

Superintendent Lim shook hands with each student and expressed his gratitude for the noble sacrifice of the Korean War veterans.

On the 10th local time, Superintendent Lim visited the local Ministry of Education and signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the two countries to establish digital education infrastructure for primary and secondary schools in Ethiopia and to strengthen teacher capacity.

Superintendent Lim held meetings with local education officials, including Minister Berhanu Nega and Minister Ayereche Eshet of General Education, promoting Gyeongbuk education policies and discussing the purpose and specific implementation plans of the project.

At this meeting, Superintendent Lim announced a plan to train 100 digital education leading teachers over the next five years, promising to support the necessary IT equipment and actively share Gyeongbuk’s edutech know-how by forming communities among teachers of both countries to share excellent teaching content.

Following this, he gave a special lecture titled "The Present of the Republic of Korea and the Future of Ethiopia" to 250 prospective teachers responsible for Ethiopia’s future talents at the auditorium of Kotebe National Teacher Education University (President Behanemeskel Tena).

Superintendent Lim expressed gratitude for the noble spirit of sacrifice of the Korean War veterans and the warm heart of the Kangnyubu Unit, which established orphanages to care for war orphans after the armistice, emphasizing that now it is Korea’s turn to repay the kindness.

He also emphasized that just as the power of education, which never stopped even during the war, was the foundation of today’s Republic of Korea, Ethiopia’s future can change depending on the role of the prospective teachers attending the lecture, urging them to move forward together with Korea for a bright future. His passionate lecture received enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Student Bruktayte Paulos, who attended the lecture, said, “I was deeply moved by the vivid testimony of Korea’s past and present and imagined an Ethiopia transformed by education,” expressing gratitude to Superintendent Lim Jong-sik for renewing her commitment as a prospective teacher.

The delegation plans to meet Mekuria Teklemariam, Minister Advisor to the Prime Minister (Korean name Ji Cheon-myeong, 54), who earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration from KAIST and is known domestically as the youngest and longest-serving minister in Ethiopia as well as the president of the Friendly Korean Association, on the 11th local time.

They will conclude their visit by visiting two schools, Kelan Boys’ Boarding High School and Etegemenen Girls’ Boarding Middle School, before departing for home on the 12th local time.

Superintendent Lim Jong-sik said, “A country that practices sharing with countries in need is an advanced country, and the Republic of Korea must transform into such an advanced country,” adding, “The global education standard K-EDU, leading Korea’s education, will be the stepping stone for that practice.”

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