"A Country That Even Sent Rice During the War"… Ecuadorian Doctor Highlights Korea's 'Passion for Education'

A child doing homework in a household in Guayaquil, Ecuador
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jeong-wan] A leading media outlet in South America’s Ecuador published a column highlighting South Korea’s economic growth on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Ecuador. It praised Korea as "a country that once sent us rice during the war and has now grown into one of the prestigious nations." The column particularly pointed out that the driving force behind Korea’s growth was its passion for education, emphasizing that Ecuador should overcome poverty by addressing educational issues just like Korea did.

On the 30th (local time), Ecuador’s daily newspaper 'El Universo,' which celebrates its 101st anniversary this year, introduced a column titled "60 Years of Korea and Ecuador" written by columnist Dr. Richard Salazar Medina (PhD in Anthropology).

Dr. Medina wrote in the column, "When diplomatic relations were established in 1962, the starting points of the two countries were similar, but there is a significant difference in their current states."

He mentioned that in the early 1960s, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world, worse off than all Latin American countries, but now it has produced global companies. He emphasized that during the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, Korea had to rely on an unstable agricultural economy, and its future was bleak with a high illiteracy rate hindering national development.

Dr. Medina also noted that the 'friendship' between the two countries has lasted for quite some time. In 1950, when Ecuador was a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, it supported the resolution opposing North Korea’s invasion during the Korean War and generously donated 500 tons of rice to Korea. At that time, Ecuador was facing economic difficulties shortly after experiencing a major earthquake.

He also pointed out the similarity in history, including the pain of division caused by the war with Peru. Dr. Medina said, "We (Ecuador) made a peace agreement with Peru, but Korea is still in a state of armistice," adding, "Nevertheless, Korea has now established itself as part of the prestigious group of countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)."

He identified 'passion for education' as the driving force behind Korea’s growth. Ecuador, originally rich in natural resources such as oil, has not been able to break free from the trap of low growth. This is interpreted as a call to find the root cause in educational issues. Oil is considered the most important industry in Ecuador’s economy, accounting for about 40% of total exports and roughly one-third of government revenue. Proven oil reserves rank third in South America after Venezuela and Brazil, amounting to approximately 8 billion barrels.

Furthermore, Dr. Medina evaluated, "Poverty still represents the miserable reality of our country’s population," and added, "We can draw inspiration from Korea, which worked hard on education above all else to escape poverty."

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