Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

We are helping Thai veterans of the Korean War now

Thai veterans “Glad for Korea’s development and grateful for not forgetting us”
 
“It seems like yesterday that we joined the war, but it has been over 60 years. We are glad for Korea’s development and grateful for the building of welfare facilities.”

On March 14, every Thai veteran of the Korean War was thrilled as a welfare center was completed with financial support from Korea at the war veteran village in Ram Intra, Thailand. Old soldiers who joined the 6·25 Korean war including a reverse general, Chaveng, 95, attended the ceremony for completion and celebrated the construction of the welfare center, a new symbol-to-be of friendship between the two countries, with the attendance of other active generals including General Chaiwat of the Thailand defense department.

This welfare center project was conducted as a gratitude for overseas combatant nations, and in accordance with that, the Lotte Group promised to support construction expenses for five years for the 60th celebration of the truce of the 6·25 Korean War last year, and with the "Community Chest of Korea" and "Society sympathizing together" participated in this project.

The basic purpose of the project is to repay the sacrifices that Thai war veterans made to protect the freedom and peace of Korea during the Korean War and to express our gratitude. “We show great deference to Thai veterans who made noble sacrifices to protect the freedom and peace of Korea and we hope that this would pave the way for friendship between both countries and mutual cooperation,” said the head of the personnel welfare department of MND Park Dae-seob, attending the completion ceremony with a senior executive of Lotte, Lee Seok-hwan.

The centre was named "Little Tiger Hall" after "little tiger", a nickname representing the gallantry of Thai soldiers during the Korean War. This two-story center has been newly built with a space of 115 pyeong, taking seven months to construct since last August. Its inside consists of a war veteran lounge, child care center, library, study room and computer room, being a help for betterment in the life environment for the war veteran village.

The village in Ram Intra, Thailand, was made by raising development funds provided by the UN after the war and the Thailand Ministry of Patriots & Veterans Affairs. There are 10 war veteran soldiers among the villagers and their families clock up to around 70 households. “We are grateful for remembering us since it has been quite a long time since the Korean War. We’d like to hope that both countries are getting closer and a building friendship,” one villager, Piyanuch, 37, said.

Following this welfare center project in Bangkok, Thailand, corresponding to the first gratitude project for overseas combatant nations, MND and the Lotte Group will carry out the construction of a welfare center for war veterans within Korea Park in Ankara, Turkey, as the second support project.

By Byung-Lyuen, Kim < lyuen@dema.mil.kr >
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