LG Electronics is launching support activities for Korean War veterans in Ethiopia, the only African nation to send troops to the 1950-1953 conflict.
LG Electronics said Tuesday that it recently held a launch ceremony for a support project to run over the next year at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Ethiopia, together with the international development NGO World Together and the Korean War Veterans Association of Ethiopia. The event was attended by Jeong Gang, Korean Ambassador to Ethiopia; Yang Seung-hwan, head of LG Electronics' Ethiopia branch; Kim Min-ho, project manager at World Together; Estifanos, president of the Veterans Association; and 15 veterans, among others.
LG Electronics plans to visit the homes of 46 surviving veterans in Ethiopia to take family photos and present commemorative frames. The company will also record their wartime experiences and wishes on video through individual interviews, and produce a documentary by selecting families with meaningful stories. In the second half of next year, it plans to exhibit the documentary, interview footage, and family photos, creating an opportunity to shed new light on the veterans' dedication. The company also plans to hold a commemorative event attended by veterans' families and government officials, where it will present plaques of appreciation.
Since 2012, LG Electronics has carried out various activities, including providing scholarships to 236 descendants of veterans using employee donations. The company also continues social contribution activities to build the capabilities of local youth through free technical education in information technology (IT), electrical, and electronics fields. Since 2014, LG has operated the LG-KOICA Hope School, a vocational training school established in cooperation with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). All 611 graduates of the school, including descendants of veterans, have successfully found employment or started businesses. Outstanding graduates are offered conversion-to-hire internship opportunities at LG Electronics' Middle East and Africa service corporation (LGEME).
