"Thanking Korean War Veterans" Commemorative Concert at New York Carnegie Hall... Performances by Jo Sumi and Others

"Today's concert is a small tribute dedicated to the UN war heroes who made today's Republic of Korea possible. We will forever remember the sacrifices and dedication of the veterans with gratitude."

A concert commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice was held at Carnegie Hall in New York, USA.

The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations held a concert titled "Remembering Our Heroes" on the 23rd (local time) at Carnegie Hall in New York, jointly with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, to commemorate the participation of UN forces in the Korean War and to express gratitude to the UN and the 22 participating countries.

The concert took place in the Stern Auditorium, a large venue with about 2,500 seats, fully occupied a day before "UN Day" on the 24th. Dennis Francis, President of the 78th UN General Assembly, along with about 50 ambassadors and their spouses from UN member states including the participating countries, and approximately 1,000 UN officials attended. This was the first concert held to honor the significance of the UN forces' participation in the Korean War for the entire UN diplomatic corps.

Especially, Korean War veterans and their families residing near New York also attended, adding meaning to the event. When they were introduced, the auditorium was filled with applause of gratitude. The playbill also featured several pages introducing the participation of UN forces in the Korean War and international support, along with the phrase "We remember."

The Seocho Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bae Jong-hoon, premiered "Fanfare for the Korean War Heroes" by American contemporary composer Ian Krause on the Carnegie Hall stage that day. The last piece of Act 2 was "Arirang Fantasy" composed by Choi Seong-hwan. Matti Katingub, a descendant of veterans and jazz pop artist, and Jens Liedermann, a trumpeter from a participating country, also performed on stage.

World-renowned soprano Sumi Jo passionately sang Ahn Jung-jun's "Aririrang," and "I Dreamed I Lived in a Marble Palace" from the opera "Bohemian Girl." For the encore, she performed Caccini's "Ave Maria."

Before the concert began, Ambassador Hwang Jun-guk introduced the names of the 22 countries that participated in the Korean War and the heroic stories of their respective units, expressing gratitude for their noble sacrifices. He said, "The Korean War was the first and last war in which 22 UN member states fought under a single UN Command and the UN flag to protect freedom and peace," adding, "The Republic of Korea will continue to play a role in promoting international cooperation and solidarity through diplomacy based on the principles and values of the UN Charter."

The Permanent Mission also held a welcome reception just before the concert, which doubled as a national day reception attended by UN diplomats and senior UN Secretariat officials. At this event, the Mission appealed for support from UN member states for hosting the 2030 Busan World Expo.

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