Something to Remember on Korean War Memorial Day

Today marks the 57th anniversary of the Korean War that ravaged the nation. Unfortunately, the war has long been forgotten among many Korean people, and misperceptions are prevalent among elementary school students in particular: Reportedly, one out of three elementary school students responded that the War took place in the Chosun Dynasty and one in five thinks the War was fought between Korea and Japan. There is little to blame on the children since even some adults insist that the War was first initiated by the South instead of the North.

In our history, there are things that should never be forgotten, and one of those things is the heroic sacrifice of our young men and women who fought to protect our freedom and peace. In addition, if it had not been for the honorable sacrifice of young Americans, British, Australians, New Zealanders, French, Canadians, South Africans, Turkish, Thais, Greeks, Dutch, Columbians, Ethiopians, Filipino, Belgians, and Luxemburgians, Korea would not be where it stands today.

Their names are engraved on a memorial in UN Memorial Park at Busan. The 40,895 names on the monument include the names of war dead and missing soldiers from 16 countries that sacrificed their men and women for our cause. On the world’s one and only UN memorial monument, we wrote, “We engrave your names in our hearts with love.” However, one cannot help but wonder – are we really paying back their death and sacrifice with love?

Many among the 16 nations experience difficulties. Ethiopia, which dispatched 6,000 soldiers and suffered 123 deaths, is the poorest nation in the world. Only 800 among the soldiers who survived the Korean War live today and none of them have escaped extreme poverty. A day before, KBS news reported an interview with a former Ethiopian soldier in his 80s who said, “I hope Korea can help at least one of my children so that he can earn money in Korea.”

Korea has offered a helping hand, though belatedly, with the KOICA building schools for the children of surviving soldiers. However, we still have a long way to go if we are to really pay back the help we received 57 years ago. We are not doing with Columbia and the Philippines any better. Korea’s level of official development assistance (ODA) to developing nations is the lowest among OECD member nations. What is more shameful is that we are not doing enough to help the nations and people we owe the most. We must remember that the times will no longer wait for us.