Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul (fourth from left in back row) on June 15 poses for a group photo with British veterans of the Korean War including Colin Thackery (second from left in front row) at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. (Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs)

By Yoon Sojung

Video = Hanwha

Two European veterans of the Korean War have promoted "Arirang," Korea's iconic folk song, as a symbol of honor and peace: Colin Thackery of Britain and the late Gilbert Hauffels of Luxembourg.

Thackery joined the British army at age 15 and four years later, he served in the Korean War for two years from September 1950; as a member of the 45th Field Royal Artillery as a gunner. Taking part in fighting like the Battle of Hill 327, he lost four of six comrades who served alongside him; they are buried at the United Nations (U.N.) Memorial Cemetery in Busan.

Thackery gained worldwide fame in 2019 after winning the reality competition show "Britain's Got Talent." His three performances secured victory and the final episode drew a rating of over 40%.

Emerging as a star in his home country, he performed "Arirang" at an event after the competition.

Colin Thackery (center) on July 26, 2023, sings "Arirang" at a dinner honoring countries that took part in the Korean War and their veterans at the hotel Signiel Busan in Busan. (Yonhap News)

He belted out "Arirang" from July 26-27, 2023, at events marking UN Forces Participation Day and the 70th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement in Busan. That year, he was also appointed an honorary minister by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

"Busan was the place where I first set foot on Korean soil after traveling by ship from the U.K., and 'Arirang' was the song we sang on the battlefield back then," he said at the time. "I will sing 'Arirang' for my comrades resting at the UN Memorial Cemetery."

Thackery remains active in music with fellow veterans, performing with groups such as the Chelsea Pensioners Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. The red coat and tricorn hat he wears on TV and at public events comprise the organization's official uniform.

Gilbert Hauffels, a Korean War veteran from Luxembourg, died on April 24, 2023, at age 90. Shown is a memorial plaque with his photo given by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs at his funeral on May 8, 2023, in the Remich area of Luxembourg. (Yonhap News)

Gilbert Hauffels (1932-2023) from Luxembourg was another Korean War veteran who loved "Arirang."

In March 1952, Hauffels at age 19 began serving in the Korean War as private first class and machine gunner with the Belgian United Nations Command until January the following year. He survived fighting like in the Battle of Baengmagoji, one of the fiercest in the war, and survived several life-or-death situations.

The diary he kept while on the front lines is on display at the National Museum of Military History of Luxembourg. With a population of around 200,000 at the time of the war, his country dispatched 85 troops, posting the highest number of soldiers relative to its population among the 22 participating states.

Expressing deep affection for Korea, Hauffels visited the country over 10 times and often sang "Arirang" at events like birthday parties.

Before dying of a chronic illness, he left a will that his nephew belatedly discovered asking that "Arirang" be played at his funeral. The request was honored at the service on May 8, 2023, at a small church in the Remich area of southeastern Luxembourg.

The ministry sent a military attache from the Korean Embassy in Belgium to the funeral to present a commemorative plaque, something the Belgian media covered amid high public interest. Hauffels' story was highlighted again in July 2024 at the exhibition "Luxembourg's Volunteers in the Korean War" at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul.

The love of the folk song "Arirang" by Gilbert Hauffels, a Korean War veteran from Luxembourg, is commemorated at the exhibition "Luxembourg's Volunteers in the Korean War" in July 2024 at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District. Shown is Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Xavier Bettel (right) looking at an exhibition honoring Hauffels at the event's opening ceremony. (Korea.net DB)

Efforts to honor foreign heroes of the Korean War have spread from the government to the private sector.

Anecdotes about veterans' affection for "Arirang" have been featured in a video titled "Arirang for Everyone," a production by a domestic company. The video has interviews with veterans -- both domestic and international -- on their wartime experiences and what "Arirang" means to them.

In the video, the veterans call "Arirang" a "second national anthem" and "a psalm of solidarity and symbol of the fighting spirit that defended freedom," saying they were united despite their nationalities because of their fondness for the song.