Dokdo Guardians... Memorial Ceremony for the 'Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps'

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The 67th anniversary memorial ceremony for the 'Battle of Dokdo' will be held at Daejeon National Cemetery. The Battle of Dokdo refers to the 1954 battle in which Japan's armed patrol ships were repelled.

On the 19th, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced that it will hold a memorial ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps burial site in Daejeon National Cemetery to honor the members of the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps.

The Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps was formed on April 20, 1953, mainly by veterans including General Hong Soon-chil, who participated in the Korean War, along with 33 civilians residing on Ulleungdo. On November 21, 1954, the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps repelled the armed patrol ships Hekura and Oki of the Japan Coast Guard using rifles, machine guns, and other inferior weapons, and subsequently established a guard post.

Currently, five members of the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps are still alive, and seventeen are buried at Daejeon National Cemetery.

The government established the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps Memorial Association to provide honor and support to the members and their families, and in 2005, enacted the 'Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps Support Act.' Since 2013, the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps Memorial Association has designated November 21 each year as 'Dokdo Battle Day' to hold commemorative ceremonies in honor of the spirit of the members.

The government stated, "We will continue to do our best to honor and elevate the dignity of the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps and their bereaved families who devoted themselves to protecting Dokdo through budget support and promotion of the Dokdo Volunteer Defense Corps Memorial Association."

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