Business Community Reflects on the Korean War...Reexamining the Sacrifices of Veterans

POSCO Invites Mexican War Veterans
Choi Tae-won Attends Memorial Wall Completion Ceremony

Mexican war veterans and their families visited the POSCO Center on the 26th of last month.

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] On the 26th of last month, 18 special guests from Mexico visited the POSCO Center. After a long flight, they arrived in Korea?veterans of the Korean War from Mexico and their families. POSCO invited them to tour the Pohang Steelworks, visit the Yongsan War Memorial, and held a luncheon meeting. Choi Soon-young, POSCO’s Mexico representative who organized the visit, said, "We express our infinite gratitude and respect for the precious dedication and sacrifice of the Mexican veterans who came to Korea from 12,000 km away 72 years ago to protect freedom and peace."

The business community is taking the lead in honoring the sacrifices and contributions of veterans who participated in the Korean War, which marks its 72nd anniversary this year. This is interpreted as an effort to strengthen cooperation with participating countries including the United States and to create a friendly business environment. Amid recent tense international situations such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the relationship between a strong economy and robust security is also being reexamined.

According to the business community on the 21st, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is scheduled to depart for a business trip to the United States this weekend. During his visit, he is expected to attend the dedication ceremony of the ‘Wall of Remembrance’ honoring U.S. Korean War veterans. The ceremony will be held on the 27th of this month, the anniversary of the armistice agreement, at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

The Wall of Remembrance project was launched in earnest in 2016, inspired by the fact that unlike the memorials for World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean War veterans memorial did not include the names of the fallen soldiers.

Funded by a domestic public-private joint fundraising campaign amounting to about 30 billion won, construction began in May last year and the wall was unveiled during the Korean War Memorial Ceremony held on Memorial Day in the U.S. on May 30th. The Wall of Remembrance bears the names of approximately 36,634 U.S. military personnel who died and 7,174 Korean soldiers assigned to the U.S. military under the KATUSA (Korean Augmentation To the United States Army) program.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kumho Petrochemical Group also donated $500,000 to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, which has been carrying out the Wall of Remembrance project.

The foundation was established following the approval of the U.S. Congress in 1986 to promote the establishment of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Park. In 1987, a committee of advisors appointed directly by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan was formed, leading to the creation of the memorial park and veterans memorial in 1995.

Through this sponsorship, Kumho Petrochemical participates in activities such as providing guidance and educational programs about the Korean War and its veterans in the U.S. Kumho Petrochemical Chairman Park Chan-gu said, "It is an honor to commemorate the noble spirit of sacrifice of the veterans who dedicated themselves to the Republic of Korea."

Hyosung Group has been supporting the ‘Love of Country Shelter’ project since 2012 to express gratitude for the sacrifices and dedication of veterans of the Korean War and the Vietnam War and to honor their contributions. On the 19th, they visited the Army Headquarters in Gyeryong, Chungnam Province, and donated 100 million won to the project.

This donation, combined with contributions from other participating companies, will be used to improve the living conditions of 12 households of veterans and support rental housing for about 100 residents.

Under the slogan "We will share together," Hyosung carries out social contribution activities in three themes: support for vulnerable groups, cultural and artistic sponsorship, and patriotic and veterans affairs. Last month, they delivered consolation money and welfare support funds to the 1st Army Corps, their sister unit, and the Hyosung Volunteer Corps visited the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery to conduct graveyard cleaning volunteer activities.

The Federation of Korean Industries also hosted a ‘Korean War Participating Countries Invitation Appreciation Event’ on the 16th of last month, inviting ambassadors and military personnel from 22 countries that participated in the Korean War to the War Memorial of Korea and the Army Hall.

A business community official said, "The recognition that today’s Republic of Korea would not exist without the noble dedication and sacrifice of the veterans is firmly established," adding, "We will continue activities to express our gratitude in the future."

Hyosung visited the Army Headquarters in Gyeryong-si, Chungnam on the 19th and donated 100 million won to the Love for the Country Housing Project. Lee Jung-won, Head of Communications at Hyosung (third from the left), and Go Tae-nam, Major General and Commander of the Army Personnel Command (third from the right) Photo by XXX

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