Launch ceremony held at Ethiopian Korean War Veterans Memorial; Ethiopia is Africa's only Korean War participant; yearlong program to include family portrait sessions

LG Electronics recently held a launch ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Ethiopia for a yearlong veteran support project. South Korea's Ambassador to Ethiopia Jeong Gang, LG Electronics Ethiopia branch manager Yang Seung-hwan, Veterans Association President Estifanos and 15 veterans attended. [LG Electronics]
LG Electronics recently held a launch ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Ethiopia for a yearlong veteran support project. South Korea's Ambassador to Ethiopia Jeong Gang, LG Electronics Ethiopia branch manager Yang Seung-hwan, Veterans Association President Estifanos and 15 veterans attended. [LG Electronics]

LG Electronics is launching a support initiative to honor Ethiopian veterans of the Korean War — Ethiopia being the only African nation to have sent troops to the conflict. The program goes beyond simple sponsorship, aiming to document the veterans' lives and sacrifices while also supporting the development of local young talent as part of the company's expanded corporate social responsibility efforts.

LG Electronics said it recently held a launch ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Ethiopia alongside international development NGO World Together and the Ethiopian Korean War Veterans Association, marking the start of a yearlong support project. South Korea's Ambassador to Ethiopia Jeong Gang, LG Electronics Ethiopia branch manager Yang Seung-hwan, veterans and other officials attended.

The company plans to visit the homes of the 46 surviving veterans to take family portraits and present each with a dedicated framed print. It will also conduct recorded interviews capturing their wartime experiences and personal wishes, and produce a documentary featuring their stories.

In the second half of next year, LG Electronics plans to hold an exhibition showcasing the family portraits, interview footage and documentary, and present certificates of appreciation to veterans and their families. The initiative is intended to reaffirm the significance of Ethiopia's participation in the Korean War and highlight the friendship between the two countries.

LG Electronics has run a scholarship program for descendants of the veterans since 2012, funded by employee donations, and has supported 236 people to date. The company has also provided living allowances and renovated aging homes in veterans' villages to improve residential conditions.

In addition, LG Electronics offers free education in IT and electrical engineering through the LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School, established jointly with the Korea International Cooperation Agency. Since the school opened in 2014, all 611 graduates have gone on to find employment or start their own businesses. Outstanding graduates are offered internship opportunities at LG Electronics' Central Africa and Middle East service subsidiary.

Strengthening solidarity with countries that fought alongside South Korea in the Korean War is seen as carrying significant weight for corporate ESG management and national brand building.

Yoon Dae-sik, executive vice president for external affairs at LG Electronics, said the company would "continue its corporate social responsibility activities so that the dedication of Ethiopia's Korean War veterans is remembered and its meaning can be reflected upon by individuals and society alike."


go@heraldcorp.com