(LEAD) Yoon says S. Korea stands on 'blood-stained uniforms' of U.N. troops

▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers remarks during a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the Korean War, at Busan Cinema Center in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on July 27, 2023. (Yonhap)

▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) presents a government award to Donald Reid, an American veteran of the Korean War, during a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the conflict, at Busan Cinema Center in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on July 27, 2023. (Yonhap)

▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) bows in tribute after placing a wreath in front of the U.N. Forces Monument at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in the southeastern city of Busan on July 27, 2023. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Yoon-war anniversary

(LEAD) Yoon says S. Korea stands on 'blood-stained uniforms' of U.N. troops

(ATTN: UPDATES with Yoon's remarks, details from commemoration ceremony; CHANGES headline; ADDS photos)

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that South Korea stands on the "blood-stained uniforms" of United Nations troops as he marked the 70th anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.

Yoon also promised never to forget the sacrifices of the 1.95 million young people who were sent from 22 nations to fight alongside South Korea or provide other assistance under the U.N. banner.

"The veterans of the U.N. forces, who gave their all to defend the freedom of a country they did not know in the best years of their lives, are our true heroes," he said during a commemoration ceremony held at Busan Cinema Center, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, which is the site of a former airport where Task Force Smith, a small U.S. unit, first arrived under a high-stakes mission to stem North Korean advances during the war.

"The Republic of Korea of today stands on the sacrifice and dedication, and the blood-stained military uniforms, of U.N. troops," he added, referring to South Korea by its formal name. "The Republic of Korea will not forget our gratitude toward all of you and our allied nations, who risked their lives and rushed to us in our time of difficulty."

On July 27, 1953, the U.S.-led U.N. Command, North Korea and China signed the armistice, halting the fighting in the war, where U.N. forces fought alongside South Korean soldiers to expel North Korean invaders backed by China and the then Soviet Union.

Sixteen countries, including the United States, Britain and Canada, sent combat troops, while six others, including India, Norway and Denmark, provided medical and other assistance.

Nearly 3,000 people attended the ceremony, including veterans, bereaved family members and government delegations from the 22 countries, according to the presidential office.

Yoon welcomed 62 foreign Korean War veterans onto the stage as they entered one by one, escorted by an honor guard. He also presented government awards to a daughter of the late Thomas Conlon Parkinson, an Australian veteran who helped install a Korean War monument in Melbourne, and to Donald Reid, an American veteran who helped erect a Korean War monument in the U.S. and contributed to the development of South Korea-U.S. relations.

Before attending the ceremony, Yoon visited the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers.

He was accompanied by first lady Kim Keon Hee and visiting dignitaries from the countries that fought alongside South Korea, including New Zealand Governor-General Cindy Kiro, Luxembourgish Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Australian Minister for Veterans' Affairs Matt Keogh and French Secretary of State for Veterans and Remembrance Patricia Miralles.

Yoon paid his respects in front of a Luxembourgish flag installed inside the cemetery before making stops in front of the New Zealand Memorial and the grave site of British troops.

Together with the foreign delegates, Yoon and the first lady also placed a wreath and offered a silent prayer in front of the U.N. Forces Monument.

The presidential office said this was the first time a sitting president paid tribute at the monument built in 1978 to honor the U.N. troops killed during the war.

(END)

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