Remembering the fallen
A South Korean soldier pays tribute to the fallen in front of the list of war dead at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Wednesday, as the nation marks the 75th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald) koreadherald@heradcorp.com
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Korea Herald
11 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Remembering the fallen
A South Korean soldier pays tribute to the fallen in front of the list of war dead at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Wednesday, as the nation marks the 75th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald) koreadherald@
![[Kim Seong-kon] How to prevent the second Korean War](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F24%2Fnews-p.v1.20250624.0f1fb100268f406797f6b6b2e3d986e1_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
21 hours ago
- Korea Herald
[Kim Seong-kon] How to prevent the second Korean War
The Korean War broke out 75 years ago on June 25, 1950. Those who fought in the war, if not already dead, would now be in their mid-90s, and those who were born at that time are now at least 75 years old. That means that today, no one under 75 in Korea experienced the atrocity of the Korean War. In that sense, the Korean War has become a 'forgotten war' not only internationally, but even in Korea, too. However, we must not forget the soldiers, both domestic and foreign, who fought for our freedom during the war. It was not an easy war because soldiers had to fight in mountainous terrain with conventional weapons. One thing that foreign soldiers especially recollected was the severity of the Korean winters. Many of them got frostbite or even died of hypothermia while fighting in the snow-covered, icy mountains at night. This is just one example of their noble sacrifice, without which today's South Korea could not have existed. The war was over in 1953. The postwar landscape of war-ridden Korea was barren and bleak. Refugee camps were ubiquitous, jobs were scarce, and mothers had to borrow rice from neighbors for their family's supper. People were destitute and impoverished: parents had to make their five or six children live in a small, rented room and crippled war veterans were reduced to begging for coins or food on the street because the government was not capable of compensating their sacrifices. Today, however, South Korea has become a fully developed, affluent country in a very short span of time. As a result, other countries want to learn the Miracle on the Han River and foreign young people want to get a job at Samsung, LG, or Hyundai. Furthermore, K-pop, K-dramas and Korean film have many ardent fans overseas, and Korean food, too, is popular at restaurants overseas. Looking back upon the Korean War 75 years later, we realize that we cannot afford another war on this soil. A second Korean War, if it broke out by any chance, would surely annihilate everything we have accomplished for the past 75 years. Even though we might win, it would take another 75 years for our country to restore and rebuild its present level of stability and prosperity. To make matters worse, no one would come this time to help us. Among other things, America, our long-term ally, has changed lately and is no longer 100 percent reliable when we are in trouble. Today's America is reluctant to interfere with international conflicts unless they are vital to its interests or national security. Unfortunately, South Korea does not seem to be that important to the US these days. Given that reality, we would have to defend our country on our own, and that would not be easy. The best option is obviously to prevent another war from breaking out in the Korean Peninsula. Begging for peace with flattering gestures is not a viable option. So how, then, can we do it? First, we must have an invincible army and weapons of cutting-edge technology. Of course, we will be relatively safe while the US troops are stationed in our country. However, when and if the US government decides to pull out its troops from Korea, we will be vulnerable to foreign invasion immediately Second, following experts' advice, we need to benchmark NATO and implement a similar organization in Asia and join it as a safety measure. Aggressive countries would not dare to attack a member of the Asian NATO. Therefore, the membership will surely protect us from foreign aggression, even when the US government would not want to interfere. Third, we must put an end to chronic ideological warfare inside South Korea immediately. It is not only nonsensical but also dangerous that we are divided Left and Right in the South, especially while there are aggressive left-wing politicians in the North seeking an opportunity to unify the Korean Peninsula under the flag of socialism. If we do not stop our internal scuffles, North Korea might misjudge the situation and attempt to invade. When I entered elementary school right after the Korean War had ended, I found some of my classmates had lost their fingers due to the sudden detonation of artillery shells that were scattered all around at that time, having failed to explode during the fighting. At school, we learned a song about the Korean War: 'Oh, how could we forget the day when our enemies invaded our country/ We had to fight back with our bare hands and red blood.' As the older generation that experienced the Korean War fades away, soon no one will remember the tragic war. However, we cannot forget the war that devastated the whole country and cost so many precious lives of soldiers and civilians. At all costs, we must not let another war break out on our soil.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Army restores Korean War battlefield archives
GYERYONG, South Chungcheong Province — Thousands of pages of battlefield records created during the Korean War (1950-1953), from operational orders to frontline journals, are being carefully restored by the South Korean Army. Shaped by the chaos of combat, retreats, counterattacks and long stalemates, these documents offer a window into how military decisions were made and how soldiers endured the war that broke out on June 25, 1950, and ultimately divided the Korean Peninsula. The Army's Korean War archives, which comprise 81,420 documents, were designated National Registered Cultural Heritage in 2020. That same year, the Army Archives Management Group launched a long-term restoration project, which has since recovered more than 40,000 items and is scheduled to continue through 2032. Each document undergoes a detailed, multistage preservation process at a restoration site in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province. The process begins with a condition assessment, where specialists evaluate any visible damage as well as acidity levels, paper type, contamination and discoloration. Based on this scientific analysis, records are prioritized for restoration. Selected items are treated using a combination of methods. Torn or missing sections are repaired using paper materials similar to those used in the original document, dyed to match the original. Paper affected by acidification is neutralized through immersion in a weak alkaline solution. The records are then flattened, dried and placed between sheets of polyester-based neutral paper to prevent further deterioration. A final quality check compares the restored item with its original state. For long-term storage, key records deemed to have lasting historical value are also transferred to microfilm, still considered the most durable archival medium. 'When I handle these torn and worn pages, I often imagine how young these soldiers were,' said Hwang Kyung-ryeon, 61, a restoration specialist. 'Their sacrifices are embedded in every document.' Once restored, the records are transferred to a large underground facility at Army headquarters near the restoration site, where they are kept under stable, climate-controlled conditions. Covering more than 660 square meters, the vault holds approximately 38,000 acid-free storage boxes filled with historical military documents. Among the preserved materials is a 1.6-meter operational map that traces the 6th Division's movements between 1950 and 1952. A particularly rare document is a handwritten order by Gen. Chung Il-kwon for the Jangsa Landing Operation — the only known official record related to student soldiers who fought in the war. Despite the passage of 75 years, the document remains intact and clearly legible. Other materials include daily logs from guerrilla units in North Hwanghae Province and battle reports from the Christmas Hill engagement, where a single ridge reportedly changed hands dozens of times between 1951 and 1953. 'These records serve as primary sources that help us understand the war through the eyes of those who lived it,' said Commander Joo Yong-seon of the Army Archives Management Group. 'The Army is committed to preserving the nation's valuable documentary heritage and enhancing its own historical and symbolic legacy.' Restored documents have been digitized into 57 compiled volumes and are accessible to the public through the National Library of Korea ( and the National Assembly Library ( flylikekite@
