Lighting ceremony to be held to honor 55 fallen heroes of West Sea

To commemorate the 55 fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives defending the West Sea, the South Korean government has announced that the “Eternal Light” will be lit in Seoul.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced Tuesday that the “Eternal Light” will be lit in the plaza of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul, in remembrance of the 55 men in uniform who fell during the “Three Major West Sea Provocations” including the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, the ROKS Cheonan sinking, and the Shelling of Yeonpyeong Island.

The light will be lit for 55 minutes at 8 p.m. for three days – from March 22 to 24. The Eternal Light is a lighting installation consisting of three large pillars representing the three major incidents in the West Sea. Each pillar is made up of 55 lights symbolizing the 55 fallen soldiers.

Last year, the lighting ceremony took place at the National Memorial Cemetery in Daejeon where the fallen soldiers are laid to rest, but this year the location was moved to Seoul to increase public awareness and promote a stronger sense of remembrance.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will hold a ceremony on March 24 at the National Memorial Cemetery in Daejeon to mark the 8th West Sea Defense Day, with a plan to make the lighting of the Eternal Light a regular annual event.

The West Sea Defense Day was established as a national holiday in 2016 to commemorate the fallen soldiers who gave their lives during the Cheonan warship sinking, which had the largest number of casualties among the three major provocations by North Korea. This day is observed every year on the fourth Friday of March to honor and remember the fallen soldiers.


Hyo-Ju Son hjson@donga.com