“A friend in need is a friend indeed... Both Koreans and Uzbeks are facing difficult times due to COVID-19. The Korean expatriates in Uzbekistan are united with the Uzbek people during this difficult time, and are helping each other in order to overcome these challenges.
On April 28, the representatives of South Korean expatriates community in Uzbekistan (Community of citizens of Korea, Regional committee of the Korean association, Association of large business companies, Corporation of small and medium businesses) handed over 60 million soums to the Tashkent city mayor’s office for 360 socially vulnerable families in a difficult situation in view of long lockdown measures due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The Tashkent city mayor’s office expressed great gratitude to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Uzbekistan, noting that this had been the first aid provided by an expat community. The hand-over ceremony was broadcast live, which is also an unprecedented event.
In addition, the Korean company Farmer's Market, operating in Uzbekistan, handed over 150 kg of strawberries to the infected and those in quarantine facilities. 260 kg of strawberries were also sent to the Arirang boarding house, where lonely elderly people of the Korean diaspora live. Another Korean company, Dongsan, donated masks and protective clothing (100 sets) to the medical personnel in Uzbekistan, which, in turn, Korean expatriates living in Samarkand collected cash ($ 1,400) and donated to a support center for poor families via the provincial governor’s office.
