Koreans Were Soldiers Once and Young

Buses from various parts of the country arrived at the Memorial Hall for Incheon Landing Operation overlooking Wolmi Island on Mt. Cheongryang in Okryeon-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon on September 13. On the windows of the ten buses parked at the Hall were signs that read “South Chungcheong branch of Korea Military Merit Awardees Association”; “Korean War Veterans’ Groups of Geoje Island” and so on.

Veterans of the Korean War visited the Memorial Hall, two days before the historic day, to commemorate the 56th anniversary of Incheon amphibious landing. On that day, more than 1,500 veterans came to the Hall. An estimated 230,000 Korean War veterans are alive.

The visitors, most of whom are well over 70,were looking at amphibious armored cars, tanks and fighters that were used in the war, reflecting the tragedy.

“Attention. Salute for the deceased.”

At the Tower of Liberty in the Hall, five members of the Veterans’ Groups of the 9.15 Incheon Amphibious Landing gathered.

Kim Jang-yeol, 74, president of the group, Heo Yeong-chul, 76, Choi Seok-won, 76, Kang Bok-deuk, 76, and Bu Tae-sam, 73, stood before statues commemorating the fallen and saluted on behalf of the group’s 760 members.

They are retired soldiers who, with the U.N. allied forces of 16 nations, participated in the Incheon landing that was executed 80 days after the Korean War broke out in 1950.

When the war occurred, they volunteered for the navy. After the war they received Chungmu or Hwarang Order of Military Merit for bravery.

“North Korean troops fired on us in Incheon. But we did not cave into them to protect the nation.”

Following 2005, this year anti-U.S. civic groups once again protested near the late U.S. General Douglas MacArthur’s statue in Incheon to demand its demolition. Seeing them, the veterans said that they were ashamed of living with them who have the same voice as that of the North in one country.

President Kim said, “Koreans should never forget the fact that the Korean War broke out because the North invaded the South. And it was the Incheon landing which prevented the communists of the North from dominating the Korean peninsula.”

They are going to gather at the coast of Wolmi Island, where the Incheon landing started, along with 200 U.S. veterans who participated in the war at the invitation of Korea Veterans Association on September 15.

They will also put flowers on the sea to remember the soldiers who were killed in action, and visit the Gen. MacArthur’s statue. Members of the Incheon Landing Operation Commemoration Project Committee (former Labor Minister Lee Hun-ki is the president), which was launched last year, are going to march in Incheon and Seoul to commemorate the landing.

kchwang@donga.com