South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol honored soldiers who participated in the Korean War at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in the United States on the 8th.
Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, visited the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific on their first official visit to Honolulu, Hawaii on the afternoon of their visit to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit.
Established in 1949, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is the resting place for about 20,000 fallen soldiers, including those who participated in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Due to its location in the Punchbowl Crater, the cemetery is also known as the Punchbowl National Cemetery.
Yoon and his wife first paid tribute and commemorated the American soldiers buried in the cemetery under the guidance of James Horton, the director of the National Cemetery.
Later, they exchanged greetings with six American soldiers who participated in the Korean War and expressed their gratitude. They also visited the grave of the late Benjamin F. Wilson and paid their respects.
Wilson completed his mission of protecting his comrades so that they could withdraw despite his injuries by suppressing the enemy in hand-to-hand combat during the Hwacheon Battle on June 5, 1951. Wilson received the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration that an American soldier can receive, for his outstanding achievements in the Korean War.
The event was attended by several notable figures, including Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command Samuel Paparo, Paparo’s wife, Commander of the U.S. Forces Korea Paul LaCamera, and Mayor of Honolulu Rick Blangiardi.
From the Korean delegation, attendees included Foreign Affairs Minister Cho Tae Yul, Chief of the National Security Office Chief Chang Ho Jin, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kang Ho Pil, Ambassador to the United States Cho Hyun Dong, Consul General of Honolulu Lee Seo Young, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office Kim Tae Hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office and Public Relations Senior Secretary Lee Do Woon.
