A Swedish woman who served as a nurse during the Korean War has contributed part of her donation to the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

The gift comes in gratitude to the Korean government, which has sent her thank-you letters for her service during the 1950-53 conflict.

Kerstin Jonasson, 88, and her Rune Jonasson, 85, have asked the KTH to contribute part of their 11.8 billion won ($10 million) donation to a student exchange program with a Korean university, KAIST said. 

Having conducted a student exchange program with KIAST from 2004, KTH plans to invest a maximum of 2.5 billion won ($2 million) as scholarships for KAIST students visiting their school from next year. KAIST plans to select 10 to 12 students from next year, according to the school.

“The donation from Jonasson is a great contribution to science and technology exchanges between Korea and Sweden. It will serve as a momentum to strengthen the academic and student exchanges and cooperation between two schools,” said KAIST president Suh Nam-pyo.

Jonasson came to Korea in 1951 as a nurse when she was 28 and treated many injured soldiers and patients over the following six months. She has received the thank you notes annually for the past 60 years.

A KAIST official in charge of global affairs visited the KTH on Monday and delivered a thank you letter and plaque to Jonasson, the school said.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)