Hwacheon County Brings New Hope to 420 Descendants of Ethiopian War Veterans

Hwacheon County Conducts On-Site Inspection of Ethiopian Scholarship Program and Selects Students for Study Abroad in Korea
420 Descendants Supported Since 2009... Cultivating Talents Including Doctors and Professors

The scholarship program for descendants of Ethiopian veterans, promoted by Hwacheon County in Gangwon Province, is sowing seeds of hope in Ethiopia.

The scholarship award ceremony for descendants of Ethiopian veterans was held on the 10th at the 625 War Veterans Hall located in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Photo by Hwacheon County

From September 5 to 10, Hwacheon County conducted an on-site inspection of the scholarship program for descendants of Korean War veterans in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The delegation, including Hwacheon County Governor Choi Moonsoon, visited the homes of the descendants to closely examine their living conditions and academic performance, and conducted interviews about their career plans.

Since 2009, Hwacheon County has continued its scholarship program for 420 descendants of war veterans to date.

Excluding those who have completed their studies, a total of 207 students are currently receiving tuition support from Hwacheon County, including 20 elementary school students, 134 middle and high school students, and 53 university students, all pursuing their dreams.

In particular, at Myungsung Medical College in Addis Ababa, seven descendants have been selected as special scholarship recipients and are focusing on their studies to become doctors.

In addition to the local scholarship program, Hwacheon County is also running a study abroad program in Korea for talented descendants, in cooperation with Hallym University and Myongji University.

During this year's on-site inspection, one student was selected to pursue a master's degree at Hallym University Graduate School next year.

The study abroad support began in 2011, and so far, nine students have completed their master's degrees in Korea.

Currently, one student each is immersed in research to obtain a degree at the Department of Environmental Energy Engineering at Myongji University Graduate School and the Department of Media and Communication at Hallym University Graduate School.

The scholarship award ceremony held on the 10th at the War Veterans Hall was attended by Governor Choi Moonsoon, Jung Kang, the Ambassador to Ethiopia, Moon Hongryang, Vice Dean of Myungsung Medical College, local scholarship recipients, Stephanos Gebremeskel, President of the Veterans Association, and surviving veterans.

Governor Choi Moonsoon paid tribute by laying flowers at the Veterans Memorial Park.

During the Korean War, Ethiopia dispatched 6,037 elite members of the Imperial Guard unit, known as the "Kagnew" Battalion, to Korea.

After their first battle in Hwacheon, they achieved an undefeated record of 253 victories in 253 battles, but upon returning home, they fell into extreme poverty due to the communization of their homeland.

Choi Moonsoon, the governor of Hwacheon County, met with war veterans in Ethiopia on the 10th to express his gratitude and encourage their descendants. Provided by Hwacheon County

Upon learning of this, Hwacheon County began a scholarship program in 2009, not as a one-time support, but as an act of gratitude to help the descendants.

Through this scholarship program, lawyers, accountants, master's and doctoral graduates, and university professors have emerged.

Notably, 13 descendants have become doctors and are practicing medicine in Ethiopia, where medical conditions are poor.

Stephanos Gebremeskel, President of the Veterans Association, said, "Thanks to Hwacheon County's scholarship program, many descendants are now able to dream of a new hope," adding, "On behalf of all the veterans, I sincerely thank Hwacheon County for its support and interest."

Governor Choi Moonsoon emphasized, "Ethiopian veterans shed their blood and fought for Korea in its time of crisis, and thanks to their sacrifice, we are able to enjoy freedom today. Hwacheon County will never forget their sacrifice."

Meanwhile, last year, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety selected Hwacheon County's scholarship program for descendants of Ethiopian veterans as an exemplary case of official development assistance (ODA) by a local government.

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