The South Korean government will hold a ceremony today (Sept. 18) to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the participation of Philippine forces in the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953.
Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA), headed by Minister Park Sam-Duck, will host the ceremony at the Korean War Monument to the Philippine Armed Forces in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province in South Korea.
Sam-Duck, Charge d’Affaires Christian de Jesus of the Philippine Embassy in South Korea, Vice Admiral Stuart Campbell Mayer, representing the United Nations Command as deputy commander, and Goyang Mayor Lee Jae-joon will participate to pay tribute to the heroes.
The first group of Philippine soldiers arrived in Busan, South Korea on Sept. 19, 1950. The Philippines was the first Asian nation and the third country in the world that sent ground troops to Korea following the United States and United Kingdom.
A total of 7,420 Filipino soldiers served in Korea. They operated alongside the United States 25th Infantry Division from October 1, 1950 and made great achievements in the Battle of Yultong in April 1951 and 112 of them died, 288 were wounded, 16 went missing in action and 41 became prisoners of war, according to MPVA.
The ministry said the Filipino soldiers not only supported South Korea to rebuild itself after the war but contributed troops to the UN Command to oversee the armistice. Filipino soldiers served in Korea from 1950 to 1955 including until the end Korean War in 1953 and continued until 1955.
Last May, the ministry sent face masks to Filipino veterans to help them protect themselves against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
As a response, Filipino veterans and their families have emphasized the special friendship between South Korea and the Philippines in recent interviews with the Korean Embassy and the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines.
Maximo Purisima Young, president of the Korean War Veterans Association in the Philippines, said the Korean government now supports the education of the veterans’ children. In 2016, the Korean government accorded Young the 1st Class of the Taegeuk Cordon of the Order of Military Merit, the highest military decoration for bravery and valor.
Isabelita Yap-Aganon, daughter of Capt. Conrad Yap, who was killed in the Battle of Yuldong in April 1951, wished that more Korean and Filipino people would visit each other’s country and have more business and trade. Her father was recognized by the MPVA as the Korean War Hero of the month in April 2019.
The MPVA said “we plan various programs and policies to honor and remember the service and sacrifice of UN veterans of the Korean War, including Filipino veterans, and continue our shared history and legacy of the Korean War with their descendants and our future generations.”