Incheon Landing Operation Commemoration Week Event, September 6-12... International Event Planned for Next Year

Incheon City is preparing a variety of weekly events to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation this year. Furthermore, next year, the plan is to expand it into a large-scale international event involving the leaders of the eight countries that participated in the landing operation and veterans.

The city announced on the 5th that, with the support of the Navy, Marine Corps, the 17th Infantry Division of the Army, and the Incheon Veterans Affairs Office, it will hold the 74th anniversary Incheon Landing Operation Commemoration Week from the 6th to the 12th of next month. The event, themed "Freedom Gained Through Sacrifice, Incheon, the City of International Peace," will feature 30 events across three categories: commemorative ceremonies, memorial events, and citizen participation.

First, the commemorative ceremony will be held on the 11th of next month at Inner Port Piers 1 and 8. Although the Incheon Landing Operation anniversary is on September 15, the schedule was moved up to the 11th considering the Chuseok holiday. The ceremony will proceed in the order of veterans’ recollections, congratulatory and commemorative speeches, and messages from key commanders of the participating countries, with the Minister of National Defense and domestic and international veterans in attendance.

Memorial events will also be held to honor the noble sacrifices of that day, including a memorial ceremony at the Colombian Troops Memorial, the only Korean War memorial in Incheon, the unveiling and wreath-laying at the General MacArthur statue relief, wreath-laying at the Wolmido Indigenous Victims Memorial, and a memorial service for fallen Navy intelligence unit soldiers.

73rd Anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation Victory Commemoration Patriotic Veterans Street Parade
[Photo provided by Incheon City]

This year, Incheon City and 10 military districts will collaborate to hold various citizen participation events tailored to local characteristics. On the 11th, the day of the commemorative ceremony, a parade will take place from Dongincheon Station to the Incheon Football Stadium, covering a 1.4 km route, featuring military equipment such as armored vehicles and tanks, along with a military band, honor guard, and military orchestra marching together with citizens.

On the 10th, the Incheon Peace and Security Forum will be held at Songdo Convensia, with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivering the keynote speech. On the same day, the "KBS Open Concert" commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Asian Games will be held as a related event at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium. Additionally, there will be experiences aboard naval ships at Palmido, a UN Peace Camp with international students from 22 UN participating countries, and children's calligraphy and drawing contests.

The city plans to reexamine the historical value of the Incheon Landing Operation and establish it as a global security festival where peace and harmony coexist. Next year, it aims to hold a large-scale international event similar to the Normandy Landing Operation commemorations.

The Incheon Landing Operation on September 15, 1950, involved 261 vessels from eight countries including South Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom, marking the largest amphibious operation since World War II. The allied forces attacked the flanks of the North Korean army, recapturing Seoul within 90 days and dramatically turning the tide of the Korean War.

However, commemorative events honoring this operation have been limited to ceremonies centered on veterans and their families, along with a few memorial services. In contrast, the Normandy Landing Operation commemorations are large-scale events attended annually by leaders from over 20 countries, serving as a venue for reconciliation and diplomacy.

An official from Incheon City stated, "We submitted a proposal to the relevant government departments in May, requesting that September 15, the day of the Incheon Landing Operation, be designated as a national memorial day." He added, "Next year, the 75th anniversary, we will promote a large-scale international event involving the leaders and veterans of the countries that participated in the Incheon Landing Operation."

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