By Park Hye Ri and Yoon Sojung
Photos = Ministry of Veterans Affairs

“The devotion of the veterans enabled the Republic of Korea to achieve its incredible development. The Republic of Korea and its citizens will never forget your divine sacrifices.”

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon expressed his respect and appreciation for veterans at the 68th anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Ceremony, at the Jamsil Arena in Seoul on June 25.

This year’s ceremony took place under the theme of “The Republic of Korea protected by sacrifice, the Korean Peninsula toward peace and prosperity.” Approximately 5,000 people participated in the event. Participants included both Korean and overseas veterans who fought in the Korean War, diplomatic envoys from countries that participated in the war, high-profile government figures, leaders of civic groups and students.

The ceremony was composed of commemorative performances, including a victorious march of heroes, and a choir that sung about their hope for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.



Mentioning the latest Inter-Korean Summit and the North Korea-U.S. Singapore summit, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said, “The government will do its utmost to make the most of this miraculous opportunity for peace. Despite any obstacles, we will more forward toward the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula and for the co-prosperity of all Korean people, with patience and persistence.”

Regarding the recovery of remains of deceased soldiers in the DMZ, he said, “We will work together with North Korea to speed up the project and return the remains in a respectful manner.”

The ceremony was also attended by U.N. veterans who participated in the Korean War. The invitation of U.N. veterans has been managed by a private organization since 1975, until 2010 when the ministry began to invite U.N. veterans in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. As of last year, a total of 32,000 U.N. veterans and family members visited Korea thanks to the program.

The visiting U.N. veterans will be in Korea from June 23 to 28. Their six-day itinerary includes a visit to the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan, the only cemetery in the world for U.N. veterans, and visits to the Imjingak and Odusan observatories where they can see the actual division of the two Koreas.

hrhr@korea.kr