The 11th Posthumous Individual Burial of a U.S. Korean War Veteran

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] The burial ceremony of the late Boyd Watts, a U.S. Korean War veteran, will be held at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Nam-gu, Busan. This marks the 11th individual burial of a UN veteran at the Busan UN Memorial Cemetery.

According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on the 6th, the late veteran participated in the Korean War from December 1950 to January 1952, starting at the age of 18. His unit blew up a bridge in the Daegu area to prevent enemy forces from advancing south. He was hospitalized at the Swedish Hospital in Busan due to worsening kidney disease caused by severe cold, and was later transferred to Japan in 1952 before returning home.

The veteran was recognized for his service and received the Korean War Service Medal and the UN Service Medal. After discharge, he re-enlisted in 1957 and was assigned to the Communications Battalion in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. He then served in the U.S., Germany, and later returned to Korea for his third tour before retiring in 1970. Having married a Korean woman, he returned to live in Busan with his wife in 2014.

Family members, Kwon Yul-jeong, Director of the Busan Regional Office of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, and Daniel Gedakt, Senior Consul of the U.S. Consulate in Busan, are expected to attend the burial ceremony.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs supports repatriation and burial ceremonies to honor the "final journey" of UN veterans. Last month, the ministry promulgated the "Act on the Honor and Promotion of UN Veterans," which provides government-level honors for approximately 1.95 million UN veterans who participated in the Korean War and aims to promote friendship with 22 UN member countries involved in the war.