Thousands of Korean War veterans to revisit battlefields in S. Korea

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- Thousands of Korean War veterans from 21 nations will
visit South Korea next year to revisit battlefields and commemorate the 60th
anniversary of the start of the conflict that razed the peninsula, an official
said Wednesday.
Twenty-one nations fought against North Korea in the Korean War as part of
U.S.-led U.N. forces supporting South Korea. The 1950-53 war ended in a truce,
technically leaving the Koreas at war.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said in a statement, quoting its
chief Kim Yang, that it plans to send an invitation to 3,000 Korean War veterans
in the 21 countries next year.
"The average age of the U.N. troops who fought in the Korean War is currently
79.4," the ministry said. "The ministry plans to hold large-scale events here to
thank those who have not been able to visit South Korea for economic and health
reasons."
About 25,000 veterans have visited South Korea since 1975, the ministry said.
Some 700 have come to revisit battlefields so far this year.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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