Scaled-Down 'Seohae Suho Day'

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] This year, the 'West Sea Defense Day' event will be significantly scaled down due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). West Sea Defense Day is an event commemorating the victims of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, the Cheonan sinking, and the Yeonpyeong Island shelling provocation. The government has designated the fourth Friday of March for this event since 2016.

On the 26th, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced that the 5th West Sea Defense Day event to honor the 55 West Sea defenders will be held at 10 a.m. on the 27th at the National Daejeon Cemetery. About 200 people, including bereaved families of the fallen soldiers, veterans, and key government officials, are expected to attend. Compared to the 4th ceremony last year, which was attended by about 7,000 citizens, the scale of the event has been greatly reduced.

The ceremony will be held under the theme "Like That Day, We Will Protect the Republic of Korea." "That Day" collectively refers to the three West Sea defense incidents, and "We Will Protect" implies continuing the spirit of the fallen soldiers to defend the homeland and protect the people from COVID-19. The ceremony will proceed in the order of national rituals, flower offering and incense burning, memorial performances, commemorative speeches, our pledge, and choir, hosted by Lieutenant Colonel Lee Hee-wan, a veteran of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong. During the flower offering and incense burning at the Memorial Tower, a representative of the bereaved families will offer a basket of 55 chrysanthemums symbolizing the 55 West Sea defenders.

Stories from the bereaved families remembering the victims will be introduced through video, and a letter titled "The Tenth Spring Without You," expressing a mother's feelings for her fallen son, will be read aloud. Captain Yoon Young-ha’s letter, pledging to "follow the footsteps of senior soldiers and protect the West Sea," will also be read. During the interlude of the choir performance, videos showing the security pledges of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps soldiers, as well as support videos from cadets overcoming COVID-19, will be screened. After the ceremony, attendees will offer flowers and pay respects at the graves of the 55 defenders.

At the gravesite of the fallen soldiers, memorial messages left by citizens who could not attend the event due to COVID-19 on the "Cyber Memorial Hall" and social networking services (SNS) will also be displayed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.