Lee Yong-cheol, minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), delivers a congratulatory speech at a send-off ceremony for the ROK-Canada joint submarine exercise aboard the Dosan Ahn Changho (SS-III) at the Naval Submarine Command in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, March 25. Yonhap
Korea marked the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong, Friday with a ceremony honoring veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War and reaffirming defense ties with partner nations that fought alongside it during the conflict.
Lee Yong-cheol, minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), attended the event at the Commonwealth War Memorial in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, alongside senior military officials and ambassadors from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — the four Commonwealth countries that participate in the annual commemoration.
Speaking at the event, Lee said Korea will “remember the sacrifice and dedication of the veterans who came to defend liberal democracy” and continue to strengthen cooperation with countries that fought alongside it during the war.
The Battle of Kapyong, fought in April 1951 during the Chinese Spring Offensive, is widely regarded as one of the Korean War’s key engagements.
About 2,000 troops from the 27th Commonwealth Brigade held off a Chinese force more than five times their size, helping United Nations forces stabilize defensive lines at a critical moment in the war.
“This ceremony is an opportunity to reaffirm our strategic partnership with Commonwealth nations and explore broader cooperation, including in the defense industry,” Lee said.
Around 300 people attended the ceremony, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, including Minister Kwon Oh-eul, foreign envoys, senior military officials and veterans, highlighting what officials described as a "long-standing partnership forged during the war."
The event followed a formal program that included commemorative addresses, a reading of a message from the British monarch and tributes to fallen soldiers, reflecting the multinational nature of the occasion.
The ministry said 26 veterans and family members from Commonwealth countries visited Korea for the occasion under a government invitation program, adding symbolic weight to the ceremony.
Source: Korea Times News
