Pohang City Holds Memorial Ceremony for Fallen Student Volunteer Soldiers... Reading of Bloodstained Letters from Student Soldiers' Pockets 'Solemn'

Held on the 11th at Yongheung-dong Hakdo Volunteer Army Victory Memorial Hall

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] On the 11th, Pohang City held the 65th Memorial Ceremony for the Fallen Student Volunteer Soldiers at the Hakdo Volunteer Soldiers Victory Memorial Hall in Yongheung-dong, attended by Mayor Kang-deok Lee, surviving student volunteer soldiers and their bereaved families, heads of veterans' organizations, and heads of institutions and organizations, totaling about 40 people.

This memorial ceremony was held with the number of attendees limited to fewer than 50 due to the continuation of social distancing level 3 amid the spread of COVID-19, and was conducted under the designation of a general quarantine manager and the deployment of safety personnel.

The Memorial Ceremony for the Fallen Student Volunteer Soldiers honors the spirits of 1,394 who died in battles in the Pohang area, including 48 who perished in the Pohang Girls' Middle School (currently Pohang Girls' High School) battle on the early morning of August 11, 1950, when they were ambushed by North Korean troops, as well as those who died in the Gigae Angang Battle, Hyeongsan River Battle, and Cheonmasan Battle.

In particular, at this event, a blood-stained letter titled "Mother's War Report," found in the pocket of student Woo-geun Lee who died in the Pohang Girls' Middle School battle, was read aloud by Seo-jun Kim, a first-year student at Jecheol High School, deeply moving the attendees.

Mayor Kang-deok Lee emphasized in his memorial address, "We promise to open a brighter and healthier future so as not to be ashamed of the patriotic spirit of the heroes, young students who voluntarily ran into the battlefield where bullets were pouring," and added, "We will forever cherish the proud history of Pohang that has protected this country."

Meanwhile, the Memorial Tower for the Fallen Student Volunteers, which enhances the image and status of Pohang as a patriotic city and the last line of defense at the Nakdong River during the Korean War, was built on August 11, 1957, and enshrines the spirits of 1,394 students, including Chun-sik Kim who died in the Pohang Girls' Middle School battle.

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