A Memorial Monument for the Chilgok Dabudong Battle 'Jige Unit' to Be Erected... Baek Seon-yeop Statue Also to Be Built

Eldest Daughter Baek Namhee Covers Expenses

Kim Jaewook, "Chilgok is a Sacred Place of National Defense"

"Before the unveiling ceremony of my father's statue, I believe it is only proper to first hold the unveiling ceremony of the memorial monument for the residents who sacrificed their lives in the Battle of Dabudong to comfort and express gratitude to them."

Baek Nam-hee, the eldest daughter of General Baek Seon-yeop, is erecting a 'Resident Memorial Monument' to honor the civilian victims, including the members of the Jige Unit, who sacrificed their lives during the Battle of Dabudong in the Korean War.

Chilgok 'Dabudong Battle Veteran Memorial Monument'.

On the 5th, Chilgok County will hold the 'Dabudong Battle Resident Memorial Monument Unveiling Ceremony' at the Dabudong Battle Memorial Hall, attended by about 200 people including County Governor Kim Jae-wook, Baek Nam-hee, and descendants of the Jige Unit members.

The unveiling ceremony will be held in the morning, ahead of the statue unveiling ceremony of General Baek Seon-yeop scheduled for the same afternoon, in accordance with Ms. Baek’s wish to first honor the sacrifices of the residents.

The ceremony will begin with the screening of a video related to the Jige Unit, followed by an unveiling speech by Ms. Baek Nam-hee, a commemorative speech by Jeon Byung-gyu, a representative of the Jige Unit bereaved families and professor at Kyungil University, and congratulatory remarks by Kim Jae-wook, Governor of Chilgok County.

The ceremony will conclude with a curtain-pulling event featuring a recollection by General James Van Fleet, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army during the Korean War, stating, "If the Jige Unit had not existed, at least 100,000 additional U.S. troops would have had to be deployed."

Ms. Baek personally covered the entire cost of 15 million KRW needed to build the memorial monument and 10 million KRW for the event expenses.

She also follows her father’s last wishes by delivering lunch boxes and scarves inscribed with the phrase "You are our heroes" to the residents at the Daboo 1-ri village hall, expressing gratitude to the Dabudong residents.

The memorial monument, measuring 1.6 meters in height and 1.6 meters in width, is engraved with the heroic deeds of the Jige Unit members as well as honoring their sacrifice and dedication.

Ms. Baek said, "My father would have wanted the resident memorial monument to be erected before his statue, so I prepared the monument and the unveiling ceremony together with Chilgok County. I hope this will fulfill my father’s unfinished wishes and bring some comfort and solace to the residents who sacrificed their lives in the Battle of Dabudong."

Kim Jae-wook, Governor of Chilgok County, stated, "With the establishment of the resident memorial monument and General Baek Seon-yeop’s statue, Chilgok County has firmly established itself as a sacred place of national defense representing the Republic of Korea. We will organically connect the defense-related infrastructure and stories."

The unveiling ceremony of General Baek Seon-yeop’s statue, organized by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, will reveal a statue measuring 4.2 meters in height and 1.5 meters in width, built with a budget of 500 million KRW raised through public donations.

Following this, a memorial service marking the third anniversary of General Baek Seon-yeop’s passing will be held in front of the National Hero Memorial, organized by the Army Headquarters.

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