Gokseong-gun Presents Military Merit Medals to Korean War Veterans

Published 12 Jun.2023 15:28(KST)

Through 'Finding Local Heroes,' War Veterans Receive Medals

Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Lee Sang-cheol) announced that at the 68th Memorial Day Ceremony, Mr. Jang Se-gyu (aged 91), a Korean War veteran, was awarded the Minister of National Defense Medal and certificate.

This medal presentation was made possible through collaboration between the Army Headquarters' Korean War Medal Recovery Investigation Team and Gokseong-gun. Since March, the investigation team began interviews with the Gokseong-gun governor and conducted focused inquiries within Gokseong-gun to locate the surviving Mr. Jang Se-gyu.

[Photo by Gokseong-gun]

The Ministry of National Defense’s “Korean War Medal Recovery Project” is a program that awards medals to veterans and their families who were approved to receive medals during the Korean War but never physically received them.

Additionally, as part of this project, the “Finding Local Heroes Campaign” discovers medal recipients, honors the patriotic contributions of these national heroes, respects their dignity, and greatly contributes to fostering the public’s spirit of patriotism.

A military official stated, “In commemoration of June’s Month of National Defense and Veterans and Memorial Day, we are honored to present medals to surviving national veterans. We deeply engrave their spirit of sacrifice to protect the country with their lives, express our gratitude for their dedication, and once again congratulate them on receiving the medals.”

Since its establishment in 2019, the Korean War Medal Recovery Investigation Team has located over 11,000 medal recipients and their families within two years.

Although more than 40,000 medals remain unclaimed, the investigation team and local governments continue to actively cooperate to ensure more people receive their medals.