Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

At a luncheon with the ambassadors of countries that participated in the Korean War, Minister of National Defense warns of “strong and unwavering response to North Korea’s provocations”

Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo attended a luncheon with the ambassadors of countries that participated in the Korean War

 
“We will remember your glorious names forever,” Jeong expressed appreciation to UN veterans of Korean War 

“Our military will make the full preparations needed to prevent the situation from escalating into a more serious military crisis,” Jeong said, stressing the need to maintain a firm readiness posture and to manage the current situation in a stable manner.

Speaking on North Korea’s recent movements, Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo warned that if North Korea finally undertakes military provocations, our military will respond strongly, without wavering.

Jeong made the remarks at a luncheon with ambassadors of the countries that participated in the Korean War, which was hosted by the Foundation of Korean Industries at the Army Hall in Seoul on June 18. “Our military takes a grave view of the current situation. We will maintain a firm posture of military readiness, while managing the situation stably in order to prevent it from escalating into a more serious military crisis,” he said.

Noting that North Korea had blown up the inter-Korean liaison office in response to the messages sent by non-governmental organizations (NGO) using balloons on June 16, Jeong assessed that it was a disappointment for those who wish to develop the relationship between the two Koreas and build peace on the Korean Peninsula. He also asked the participating ambassadors for their “unwavering support in the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) journey toward building peace and prosperity on the peninsula.”

At the luncheon, Jeong expressed his deep gratitude to the ambassadors, reminding them of the devotion of the UN Korean War veterans, who had sacrificed their lives to protect peace and freedom on this land 70 years ago. “22 countries responded to the ROK’s desperate cry for freedom and peace under the UN flag. It was the first armed forces deployed by UN, which had been founded to maintain the peace and security of the world,” he stressed. “The UN veterans, devoting some 1,958,000 man-days, and traveling from all over the world, were willing to sacrifice their lives in the fight for freedom and peace on the strange land of the Korean Peninsula,” he added, naming the countries one by one.

Jeong reiterated his appreciation to the UN veterans by noting that they had fought more bravely at the front than anyone else, and at the same time had made humanitarian efforts, such as treating the wounded soldiers and citizens and taking care of orphans. “We were able to develop into the nation we are today thanks to many UN veterans, who devoted their sweat and blood to protecting the freedom and peace of the ROK during the war, and showed us their love and affection even after the war,” he stressed.

Jeong also told the ambassadors about the story of the late Boyd Watts, a United States (US) veteran who had been buried at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan last April. Watts joined the war at the age of 18, in 1950. Watts was a war hero, as he had served twice in the US Armed Forces in Korea in order to build peace on the Korean Peninsula, even after the war. “By repatriating the remains of eleven UN veterans to the ROK, according to their wish to ‘be buried in the land of ROK together with their fellow soldiers,' even in death, the ROK government is fully honoring their noble sacrifice,” he added.

Jeong also focused on letting the ambassadors know that the devotion of the veterans had led to the development of the ROK. "Turned into a heap of ashes right after the war, the ROK was only able to survive with assistance from other countries. But today, the ROK has grown into a country that is able to give assistance to other countries, with an economic power and military strength that ranks us in the top ten countries in the world," he said emphatically. He noted that the government had launched various projects to repay veterans for their devotion, including: ▲support for refugees, ▲technology transfer to developing countries, and ▲participation in international peacekeeping activities. Significantly, he stressed that the ROK has established itself as a country leading the ‘Post COVID-19’ response, and is sharing Korea's knowhow in this area with the international community, for which it has received high praise from the world.

Jeong also introduced a wide range of activities for UN veterans of Korean War, which had been carried out by the government to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. "If the domestic COVID-19 situation stablilizes further, we will proactively review providing additional support to the countries that participated in the Korean War," he said.

"I deeply appreciate the noble sacrifice and devotion of the veterans from the UN countries, including the US, who brought the light of hope at a desperate moment for Korea, like sitting on a barrel of gunpowder, and we will remember their glorious names forever," Jeong said, stressing that the wounds of war have healed and we have made a lot of efforts to build peace for 70 years since the outbreak of the Korean War.

Earlier in the day, Jeong visited a war memorial hall nearby together with the participants. They paid their respects to the souls of the war veterans at the Monument for UN veterans of the Korean War, which had been set up at the Peace Square.

 By Su-Yeol, Maeng <guns13@dema.mil.kr >
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