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The entrance to the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul is adorned with the flags of the 16 nations that took part as U.N. allied forces in the Korean War.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the start of the Korean War.
On June 25, 1950, North Korea suddenly invaded the South, and gun fire shook the entire length of the Korean Peninsula. Many people had to flee their homes ahead of the frontline, leaving behind the happiness of everyday life. Many people lost their lives and suffered the loss of family members, friends and neighbors, experiencing the harsh brutality of war.
The tragic pain, loss and sacrifice of the Korean War were not limited to solely Koreans. Young soldiers were dispatched from 16 nations as U.N. forces, sent to fight the war. They gave up their lives and youth for Korea and for the Korean people, about which many of them didn't even know much. The memory of sacrifice and pain has been passed down from generation to generation by all Korean War veterans.
Photographs of Korean War veterans at the time of the war are on display at the War Memorial of Korea.
There is one location that is dedicated to the memory of the pain and sacrifices made by the veterans during the war: the War Memorial of Korea. It was easy to spot the non-Koreans visiting the memorial to learn more about the Korean War on June 23, two days before the 65th anniversary. There were some people carefully examining records about the war and the belongings of some war veterans.
A group of students associated with the Pumassi Headquarters holds up a banner that has messages dedicated to Korean War veterans, at the War Memorial of Korea on June 23. The students were taking part in a campaign to write thank-you letters to the war veterans.
Gunter Lockert from Sweden writes a message for Korean War veterans, at the War Memorial of Korea on June 23.
"Last year, many people, including children and non-Koreans, personally wrote letters of gratitude and took the letters to Korean War veterans in Canada. Many of the war veterans were overwhelmed with tears," said Kim Han-jong, an official at the Pumassi Headquarters, a civic group. The group is running a campaign to write thank-you letters to all Korean War veterans.
"Later this year, we will hold a thank-you letter writing competition for elementary, middle and high school students. The winning 30 students will visit Korean War veterans in Australia and New Zealand from July 22 to July 31," Kim added.
Separately, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will hold a ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of the start of the Korean War at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in southeastern Seoul at 10 a.m. on June 25.
By Jeon Han, Lim Jae-un
Photos: Jeon Han
Korea.net Staff Writers
hanjeon@korea.kr
The '2015 Republic of Korea Armed Forces' photo exhibition is underway at the War Memorial of Korea in central Seoul to mark the 65th anniversary of the Korean War.
A non-Korean visitor takes a photo of a Korean War sculpture at the War Memorial of Korea on June 23.
A non-Korean visitor reads the explanation on a war-related monument at the War Memorial of Korea.
Uniforms, weapons and other military equipment that belonged to soldiers who took part in the Korean War as U.N. allies are on display at the War Memorial of Korea. (From top) Uniforms and other military equipment from Belgium, Luxembourg, Ethiopia, Colombia, Turkey, Thailand, the U.S., Australia and the U.K. are all on display.
