By Hur SomEe and Kim Young Shin
Photos = Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs

The remains of the late French soldier Jean le Houx, who fought in the Korean War as part of U.N. forces, were buried inside the DMZ in Cheorwon-gun County, Gangwon-do Province, on Nov. 2 as part of his last requests.

In 2007, Le Houx was invited to Korea for the first time after the war by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA). He was moved to see how much the country that he had protected had changed, and left with the desire to be buried in the same battlefield where he fought alongside his comrades when he was 20 years old. He passed away on Dec. 30, 2016, at the age of 84.

The MPVA and the French Embassy in Korea honored his final wishes and buried his ashes next to the French memorial that's located near Hill 281, or Arrowhead, inside the DMZ on Nov. 2.

The late Le Houx joined the Korean War in December 1951 when he was 19. He was injured twice in the summer of 1952 during the Battle of Hill Eerie, near the T-bone hill area, and he was still able to take part in the Battle of White Horse in October that same year. He valiantly protected Korea until July 31, 1953, a few days after the Armistice Agreement was signed.

Some 50 officials, including French Ambassador to Seoul Fabien Penone, other French Korean War veterans, and authorities from the MPVA and the Korean military, saluted the remains of the French veteran during his burial.



sehp91@korea.kr