"Tears of First Recognition" A War Veteran's Note to Han Dong-hoon

6.25 Irregular Veteran 'Kello Unit' Lee Chang-geon
"First Recognition"… Minister Han "I Will Remember Your Words"

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon received a thank-you note from a veteran who served in an irregular special forces unit during the Korean War, drawing attention to the reason behind it.

According to the legal community on the 27th, Minister Han received an impromptu note from Lee Chang-geon (93), former president of the Korea Atomic Energy Culture Promotion Agency and a veteran of the 'KLO unit' (KLO·Korea Liaison Office), at the 73rd anniversary event of the Korean War held on the 25th at Jangchung Gymnasium in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon received a thank-you note from a veteran of the Kelo Unit at the 73rd anniversary event of the Korean War held on the 25th.
[Photo by Ministry of Justice]

Former President Lee was a student in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Seoul National University and served as a planning staff officer in the KLO unit during the Korean War. In the note, he wrote, "I am Lee Chang-geon from the KLO. This is the first time the KLO has been officially recognized, and in February of this year, we received compensation, and on June 14th, we were invited to a luncheon at the Blue House."

He continued, "When I think of comrades who infiltrated North Korea but could not return due to the armistice, tears well up in my eyes," expressing gratitude for the government's compensation.

The KLO unit was formed during the Korean War by the U.S. military, recruiting members familiar with North Korean terrain to conduct secret operations such as intelligence gathering and guerrilla warfare in North Korea. They operated in connection with the U.S. 8240th unit but were classified as civilian employees by the U.S. military, so they had no military service numbers, ranks, or military records.

Because of this, they had been overlooked in terms of government compensation, but their contributions were officially recognized with the enactment of the "Act on Compensation for Irregular Forces Active in Enemy Areas Before and After the Korean War" in 2021.

Following the legislation, the Ministry of National Defense established the ‘6·25 Irregular Forces Compensation Support Group’ and has been providing merit payments through monthly committee reviews since February last year. As of March this year, 1,792 individuals have been recognized as irregular force contributors, with a total of 17.6 billion KRW in merit payments decided for them and their families.

The government made the first merit payments to KLO members in February and invited former President Lee to the ‘National Meritorious Persons and Veterans Families Luncheon’ on the 14th.

On that day, Minister Han told former President Lee, "I will remember your words well and hang this note in my office," and it was reported that he hung the note in his office after arriving at the Government Complex Gwacheon.

Meanwhile, applications for irregular force merit payments can be submitted until October 16th this year. The Ministry of National Defense plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, local governments, and veterans’ associations to identify as many eligible individuals as possible.

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