ID :
67704
Thu, 06/25/2009 - 20:07
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/67704
The shortlink copeid
S. Koreans remember veterans, civilians killed during Korean War
SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- War veterans, bereaved and separated families, and
many others gathered in small and large numbers throughout South Korea Thursday
to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, the
three-year conflict sparked by ideological differences that left the country
divided.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, together with the Korea Veterans
Association. held a memorial ceremony in central Seoul with some 5,000 people
attending, including Korean War veterans, politicians and students who came to
remember the soldiers and civilians who were lost during the 1950-1953 war.
The war ended with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty, on July 27, 1953. North
Korea and China signed an armistice agreement with the United Nations, which
represented South Korea.
There is no official record on how many lives were lost during the war, but
historians suggest about 970,000 South Koreans, 1.7 million North Koreans,
150,000 U.N. forces, mostly Americans, and 900,000 Chinese died.
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, who delivered a keynote speech at the event,
conveyed his thanks to those who sacrificed their lives in the conflict and said
that the government was considering expanding privileges, such as medical
benefits and housing subsidies, to war veterans.
The anniversary also comes amid heightened cross-border tension following North
Korea's second nuclear test in late May. The U.N. Security Council recently
passed a new resolution condemning the test, imposing an overall arms embargo and
tougher financial sanctions than those under previous resolutions in 2006.
"The South and the international community can only help out the North when it
abandons its nuclear program as quickly as possible," Han said, underscoring that
the government should sternly deal with "any forces" that threaten the security
of the nation.
Gyeonggi Province also held a separate memorial event in Suwon, south of Seoul,
where some 2,000 veterans, regional leaders and families of the deceased gathered
to remember and pray for those who died.
A number of small gatherings observing the anniversary were also held in the port
city of Incheon, west of Seoul, where a successful amphibious offensive by the
U.N. in 1950, led by U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, led to the liberation of Seoul,
which had been taken over by the North after the outbreak of the war.
"We should never forget that the reason South Korea is at the forefront of
protecting freedom is because of the sacrifice of our fallen soldiers," Ahn
Sang-soo, mayor of Incheon, said at a memorial event organized by the city.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)
many others gathered in small and large numbers throughout South Korea Thursday
to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, the
three-year conflict sparked by ideological differences that left the country
divided.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, together with the Korea Veterans
Association. held a memorial ceremony in central Seoul with some 5,000 people
attending, including Korean War veterans, politicians and students who came to
remember the soldiers and civilians who were lost during the 1950-1953 war.
The war ended with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty, on July 27, 1953. North
Korea and China signed an armistice agreement with the United Nations, which
represented South Korea.
There is no official record on how many lives were lost during the war, but
historians suggest about 970,000 South Koreans, 1.7 million North Koreans,
150,000 U.N. forces, mostly Americans, and 900,000 Chinese died.
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, who delivered a keynote speech at the event,
conveyed his thanks to those who sacrificed their lives in the conflict and said
that the government was considering expanding privileges, such as medical
benefits and housing subsidies, to war veterans.
The anniversary also comes amid heightened cross-border tension following North
Korea's second nuclear test in late May. The U.N. Security Council recently
passed a new resolution condemning the test, imposing an overall arms embargo and
tougher financial sanctions than those under previous resolutions in 2006.
"The South and the international community can only help out the North when it
abandons its nuclear program as quickly as possible," Han said, underscoring that
the government should sternly deal with "any forces" that threaten the security
of the nation.
Gyeonggi Province also held a separate memorial event in Suwon, south of Seoul,
where some 2,000 veterans, regional leaders and families of the deceased gathered
to remember and pray for those who died.
A number of small gatherings observing the anniversary were also held in the port
city of Incheon, west of Seoul, where a successful amphibious offensive by the
U.N. in 1950, led by U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, led to the liberation of Seoul,
which had been taken over by the North after the outbreak of the war.
"We should never forget that the reason South Korea is at the forefront of
protecting freedom is because of the sacrifice of our fallen soldiers," Ahn
Sang-soo, mayor of Incheon, said at a memorial event organized by the city.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)
