Colombian leader pulls at Koreans' heartstrings

The leader of Colombia left Seoul Friday, after wrapping up a three-day state visit to South Korea.

But the heartfelt speech delivered by President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon at a dinner Thursday with President Lee Myung-bak and dozens of high-ranking officials of the two countries at Cheong Wa Dae continues to resonate with Koreans even after his departure. 

Santos said Colombia’ s decision to send troops to fight for democracy and freedom in South Korea when the nation was in a bloody civil war six decades ago was the right thing to do.

“Colombia is the only Latin American country that responded positively to the United Nations’ call to join the coalition forces to defend freedom and democracy in South Korea,” said Santos in the speech.

“If we Colombians are called upon to fulfill the same mission again in the future for the sake of peace and democracy, we will be here without any hesitation. 

We will be here without a second thought. 

We are willing to be here thousands of times, if that is what it takes to save democracy and freedom in this country.”

The Colombian leader’s speech touched the audience. 

Lee started clapping, soon followed by the rest of those at the dinner. 

During the Korean War (1950-53), approximately 5,000 Colombian soldiers put their lives on the line fighting against the communist enemy. 

Of them, 214 lost their lives and 450 were severely wounded. 

Thirty Colombian soldiers were made as prisoners of war.

The bloody conflict left nearly 2.5 million people dead. 

Santos said he felt that their sacrifice has paid off as South Korea has become a modern, free and developed country six decades after the war. 

On the first day of his Seoul trip, Santos visited the heavily fortified inter-Korean border and the War Memorial in Seoul. These trips appeared to inspire him to give such a touching speech. 

Over the past six decades, there has been a dramatic twist in the global standing of Korea, which was one of the world’s poorest nations in the wake of the Korean War.

Its per capita gross domestic product has topped $20,000. Democracy is full-blown. 

Korean singers, actors and actresses are popular in Asia and Europe, making the Korean wave or “hallyu” felt around the world.

South Korea joined the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee in 2009, becoming a donor country. 

Before South Korea, no Third World country had ever pulled off such stunning economic, political and cultural accomplishments in such a short span of time.

Behind this accomplishment were friends, including Colombia, who gave a helping hand at the expense of their people when the nation was in peril. 

Earlier, South Korea’s aid agency vowed to prioritize three nations that dispatched troops to the country during the Korean War but are now facing challenges, and provide development assistance. 

They are Colombia, the Philippines, and Ethiopia