Primary school students enjoy a new 'green' playground at the Văn Thanh Tùng school-yard. — VNS Photo Công Thành

QUẢNG NAM — The Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation, in co-operation with Quảng Nam Provincial Friendship Association, officially launched the ‘Green Playgrounds’ for primary schools in Điện Dương Ward with funding from the Lotte Scholarship Foundation in a ceremony on July 7.

The four green playgrounds were built at two primary schools – Văn Thanh Tùng and Hồ Văn Biển – from recycled bottles and environmentally-friendly materials.

Hyun Woo Kwon, a member of the Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation, said the green playgrounds, which were under the V-project, offered safe entertainment sites at school-yards – that were not available in previous years – for 1,400 school students at the two schools.

He said the project involved the participation of Vietnamese volunteers and architects.

Kwon said the project was one of the regular activities following the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the foundation and the provincial friendship association in 2019.

The V-Project, a joint-creation by the two chairmen of the Lotte Scholarship Foundation (Huh Sung Kwan) and the Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation (Kang U Il), with total funds of US$83,000, also donated 100 scholarships, 50 bicycles and school facilities to primary students and schools in Bình Dương Commune of Thăng Bình District in 2019.

It’s one of a series of charity activities that the Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation has been supporting for locals in central Việt Nam in healing the wounds of war.

Điện Dương Ward witnessed massacres committed by South Korean soldiers during the American war in 1968, when 171 unarmed civilians in Hà My and Hà Quảng villages were killed by Korean soldiers.

The Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation, which was established in 1999, aimed to begin a ‘Sorry to Vietnamese people’ campaign among Koreans, and ask for an official apology.

Thousands of people were killed in a series of massacres by Korean soldiers during the war in central provinces of Việt Nam between 1966 and 1971.

The V-Project would help build more ‘green’ playgrounds at schools in Bình Định province later this year. — VNS