Booyoung Group Meets UN Veterans Visiting Korea, "Thankful for Their Sacred Sacrifice"

Monument to Veterans in the Peace Plaza of the Yongsan War Memorial donated by Booyoung Group / Photo by Booyoung Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Noh Kyung-jo] Booyoung Group announced on the 9th that it expressed its gratitude to 114 UN veterans and their families from 15 countries who visited Korea at the invitation of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

Shin Myung-ho, chairman of Booyoung Group, who represented Chairman Lee Joong-geun, personally welcomed the veterans who visited the Yongsan War Memorial for a museum tour and wreath-laying ceremony. The War Memorial is also the place where Booyoung Group supported the construction of a memorial monument in 2015 to express gratitude to veterans from 22 countries who participated in the war.

Chairman Shin said, "It is because of the sacred sacrifice and dedication of the veterans that today’s Republic of Korea exists," and handed out souvenirs filled with hospitality and gratitude to all 114 participants.

This meeting was arranged at the request of Booyoung Group upon hearing the news that the veterans were visiting Korea. Booyoung Group also expressed its intention to support the 70th anniversary of the armistice next year. They plan to discuss with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs ways to sponsor commemorative projects such as erecting monuments at forgotten battle sites and in the homelands of overseas participating countries.

Booyoung Group has been striving not to forget the noble spirit of the veterans who participated in the Korean War. Founder Lee Joong-geun authored "6·25 1129 Days" to convey the true history and distributed over 10 million free copies of Korean and English translations to military units, various domestic institutions, and overseas countries that participated in the war.

The memorial monument donated to the War Memorial embodies gratitude to the veterans from 22 countries who risked their lives to help us during the Korean War. It features 2.7-meter-high symbolic works for each country, engraved with symbols of victory such as laurel wreaths, details of participation, unit emblems, scale and battle records, and inscriptions dedicated to the veterans.

In 2016, Booyoung Group invited 20 Korean War veterans and their families from Australia and supported their visits to the War Memorial, National Seoul National Cemetery, Panmunjom, and the Gapyeong Australian War Memorial. The Woojeong Education and Culture Foundation, established by Booyoung Group, has been providing scholarships since 2010 to descendants of Korean War veterans among foreign students, continuously conveying gratitude to the veterans.

In June this year, Booyoung Group held the "LIBERTY WALK Seoul" event together with the 6·25 Foundation and the Republic of Korea Army Association. They also donated $100,000 in sponsorship funds for veterans. The funds will be used to build libraries named after veterans and donate books to elementary schools in various U.S. states. The total amount donated by Booyoung Group to date exceeds 1 trillion won.