Walking 1,950km to Support Ethiopian Korean War Veterans

Arirang.co.kr: Walking 1,950km to Support Ethiopian Korean War Veterans
Ethiopia sent some 6-thousand ground troops to the Korean peninsula during the Korean War.

After a communist government came to power in the African country through a military coup d'etat in 1974, the veterans and their families had a hard life for many years as the former Ethiopian government accused them of fighting against its ally, North Korea.

About 500 veterans of the war are still alive and in order to help them a meaningful step has been taken here in Korea.

Participants of a fund-raising walking event left the city of Chuncheon in Gangwon Province on February 15th and will be walking across the country until May 3rd.
They will be walking a total of 1,950 kilometers which is 25 kilometers every day for 78 days and anyone can take part by donating one won for every one meter they walk.

[Interview : Shin Kwang-chul, Director-general
Supporters' Association for the Ethiopian Veterans Korean War] "We are not just simply walking. By traveling 1,950 kilometers by foot we will be remembering the 1950 Korean War and help war veterans from Ethiopia who sacrificed themselves."

The money will be used to repair the houses of Ethiopian veterans or to build schools and hospitals for their families.
Ethiopians living in Korea are also taking part in the campaign for their fathers and grandfathers living in the African country.


[Interview : Henok, Son of Ethiopian veteran] "The Ethiopian soldiers who participated in the Korean War are living a very hard life now. And it even seems that not many are alive. They are really pitiful."

Ethiopia was a country that reached out to Korea during its time of need.
It is now time for Korea to take a step forward to help them.
Eoh Jin-joo, Arirang News.