"Korea gets more and more developed, every time I visit this nation."

Antonio Michael Muller from South Africa, who fought as an air force officer in the Korean War, remarked on Korea's growth over recent decades. The Korean War veteran is now once again revisiting Seoul, after previous trips here in 2011 and in 2005, when he returned to Korea for the first time after the war. Sixty-three years have passed since the armistice was signed and he left this land, and he can now only move with the help of a wheelchair. However, he stood up on his own two feet to pay tribute to his fellow soldiers who fought in the war together at the memorial tower at the Seoul National Cemetery. He then raised one hand in salute as the other sought support from his cane.





Muller is visiting Seoul on the invitation of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, along with 130 other war veterans and bereaved family members from 17 different countries. During their stay in Korea, these veterans who protected this land, alongside their offspring and family members, will not only visit the War Memorial of Korea, Panmunjom and the Seoul National Cemetery, but also visit Gyeongbokgung Palace, Insa-dong, the National Museum of Korea and the neighborhood of Itaewon, where they will be able to see and experience the changes Korea and Korean society have underwent, that they were not able to see when they were here during the war.




They will also attend a ceremony to mark the "Korean Armistice Agreement and the Day of U.N. Forces' Entry Into the Korean War" on July 27. The head of the French Korean War Veterans Association, Patrick Beauduin, will accept a Peony Medal. The head of the International Federation of Korean War Veterans Association, John Bishop, from Canada, will accept a Camelia Medal. Alan Guy of the British Korean War Veterans Association and Vitor Albert Dey of the Australian Korea War Veterans Association will both accept Civil Merit Medals. Finally, U.S. veteran Duane E. Dewey, Belgian veteran Raymond Jozef Jan Behr, and Philippine veteran Maximo Young and South Africa's Muller will all accept the Taegeuk Order of Military Merit during the ceremony, as well. To honor the late U.S. Commander Raymond Davis, his grandson will accept the order in his place.

By Jeon Han, Chang Iou-chung
Photos: Jeon Han, Korea.net Photographer
Korea.net Staff Writers
hanjeon@korea.kr