Ministers, Vice Ministers, and Regional Governors Seek National Development Strategies Through Saemaul Education

Yeungnam University Deepens Its Ties with Ethiopia, Honoring Its Korean War Contribution

[March 6, 2016]

Ethiopian High-Level Government Delegation Visits Yeungnam University to Explore Saemaul Undong for National Development

Ministers, Vice Ministers, and Regional Governors Seek Insights from Korea’s Saemaul Development Model

The Ethiopian government is looking to Yeungnam University’s Saemaul Undong model as a potential strategy for national development, particularly in forest rehabilitation and environmental conservation.

Leading a high-level delegation, Ethiopian Minister of Forestry, Environment, and Climate Change Shiferaw Teklemariam met with Yeungnam University Vice President and Director of the Institute for International Development Cooperation, Choi Oe-chool, on March 3. Minister Shiferaw emphasized Ethiopia’s strong commitment to learning from Korea’s experience, stating:

“We earnestly wish to learn from Korea’s experience for Ethiopia’s forest rehabilitation and environmental conservation.”

Ethiopia, once rich in forests, has faced severe deforestation due to uncontrolled logging and climate change, raising concerns over desertification. In response, the Ethiopian government dispatched a large delegation to Korea to study its successful reforestation efforts during the Saemaul Undong era, as well as policies on environmental conservation and climate change adaptation.

The delegation includes:  

Minister Shiferaw Teklemariam (Forestry, Environment, and Climate Change) 

Minister Belete (Prime Minister’s Office)

Vice Minister Kebede (Forestry, Environment, and Climate Change)

Ambassador Shiferaw Jarso (Ethiopian Ambassador to Korea)

Governors from six regional states, including Oromia, Somali, and Tigray

Expanding Cooperation: Ethiopia Seeks Comprehensive Saemaul Education

That evening, Minister Shiferaw held a private meeting with Vice President Choi, seeking Yeungnam University’s support in expanding Saemaul education through a partnership with Hawassa University, Ethiopia’s national university.

The delegation also attended a lecture by Professor Lee Yo-han from the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul, titled “Korea’s Saemaul Undong and the Success of Forest Rehabilitation.” The lecture showcased Korea’s nationwide reforestation success in the 1970s, achieved through broad public participation.

A key delegation member, Dessie Dalkie Dukamo, Governor of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), previously led a high-level SNNPR delegation to Yeungnam University for Saemaul education in 2023. Following this, Yeungnam University dispatched a team of experts to train 700 Ethiopian government officials in Saemaul Undong and public sector capacity building in Hawassa (February 2024).

Ethiopia’s Interest in Saemaul Undong at the National Level

Ethiopia, a nation with twice Korea’s population and 11 times its land area, faces economic challenges with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of $550 (as of 2014).

The delegation represents six of Ethiopia’s nine regional states, covering 65 million people—more than half of Ethiopia’s total population of 100 million. The Oromia region alone has 32 million people, exceeding the populations of many countries.

All six regional governors unanimously requested Yeungnam University’s support in providing Saemaul education programs for their government officials. This marks a significant milestone in the potential nationwide expansion of Saemaul Undong in Ethiopia.

To date, 17 Ethiopian students have pursued degrees at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul at Yeungnam University. Additionally, 1,442 Ethiopian government officials have participated in short-term Saemaul Undong training through Yeungnam University’s Institute for International Development Cooperation.

This visit reinforces the deepening ties between Korea and Ethiopia, with Saemaul Undong emerging as a key pillar of collaboration.