SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome has called for more South Korean investment in his country, saying their ties must move beyond the Korean War alliance.
Ethiopia was the only African country to send ground troops to the 1950-53 Korean War to fight alongside South Korea under the United Nations flag.
More than 6,000 Ethiopian troops took part in the war against North Korea and 122 of them perished on Korean soil.
In an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on Sunday, Mulatu said his country is "very honored" to have contributed to international peace and to have been by the side of the Korean people. Going forward, the two countries must strengthen their friendship forged in blood.
Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome speaks to Yonhap News Agency at a hotel in downtown Seoul on April 19, 2015. (Yonhap)
"We cannot always tell the coming generation about what has happened in the 1950s," he said. "It has to be substantiated with modern day mutual interest. And that modern day mutual interest is investment, trade and economic interaction."
He said one possible area of economic cooperation would be tourism. During his meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye last week, the two leaders also agreed to push for the construction of a joint textiles production park in the African country.
He said one possible area of economic cooperation would be tourism. During his meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye last week, the two leaders also agreed to push for the construction of a joint textiles production park in the African country.
"That is because of the fact that Ethiopia has a comparative advantage in starting the process of industrialization with the textiles industry," Mulatu said, citing the suitability of his country's land for cotton cultivation, low electricity rates and a cheap labor force. "I know that Korea started its industrialization through textiles also. So that is why we focused on this area."
The Ethiopian president, who previously served as his country's ambassador to China and Japan, recalled the Chinese and Japanese approaches to helping Africa's economic development.
The Ethiopian president, who previously served as his country's ambassador to China and Japan, recalled the Chinese and Japanese approaches to helping Africa's economic development.
Tokyo's approach was mainly focused on providing official development assistance (ODA), while Beijing expanded its economic influence in the region by investing heavily in infrastructure, mining and other industries.
"The good news is that there is one Korean company that has acquired one project -- an expressway," Mulatu said. "It's a good start but not enough," he added, saying that around 70 percent of all bids for construction projects in his country are won by Chinese firms.
South Korea has conducted various programs to promote Ethiopia's economic development. Between 2012 and 2014, South Korea invited 300 descendants of Ethiopia's Korean War veterans to train them in mechanical, building and computer skills.
Mulatu stressed that simply giving aid in the form of handouts will not help Ethiopia's 95 million people. The best way for South Korea to help Ethiopia would be for it to become a "development partner," he said.
"If you bring 3 million students or 3 million people to settle in Korea, that will not solve the problem," he said. "But if you make the 300 Ethiopians become industrious where they are -- if these 300 people become exemplars -- be it in education, be it as industrialists -- then it multiplies."
Mulatu wrapped up his 10-day visit to South Korea on Monday, after attending last week's World Water Forum in the cities of Gyeongju and Daegu and touring industrial and other sites across the country.
Mulatu wrapped up his 10-day visit to South Korea on Monday, after attending last week's World Water Forum in the cities of Gyeongju and Daegu and touring industrial and other sites across the country.
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