Defense Minister, Chief of Naval Operations, and 800 Attendees
Posthumous Award of the Order of Merit for National Foundation... Resting at Daejeon National Cemetery
The funeral ceremony for Corporal Chae Su-geun, a Marine who died in the line of duty while searching for missing persons at the flood disaster site, was held as a Marine Corps funeral at 9 a.m. on the 22nd at the Kim Dae-sik Hall, the gymnasium of the 1st Marine Division in Pohang, Gyeongbuk.
The funeral was attended by about 800 people, including the bereaved family and relatives, Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop, Navy Chief of Staff Lee Jong-ho, Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan, Marine Corps soldiers, People Power Party leader Kim Ki-hyun and members of the National Assembly, Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo, and Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok. The ceremony proceeded with an opening address, salute to the deceased, report on the deceased’s career, eulogy, flower offering and incense burning, firing of a salute and moment of silence, and greetings from the bereaved family.
On the 22nd, Marines shed tears at the funeral ceremony of the late Corporal Chaesugeun. [Photo by Yonhap News]
In his eulogy, Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan said, "As a commander, I deeply feel responsible for not being able to protect him and offer my condolences to his parents," adding, "The precious mission he left behind, his dedication and loyal appearance in giving his life to protect the people will remain forever in our hearts."
Private Jin Seung-hyun, a Marine Corps comrade of Corporal Chae, said in his eulogy, "It breaks my heart that I will never see the only comrade in our company again," and "You, who always took the lead in everything, were the truest soldier I have ever seen. I hope you can rest in peace."
Corporal Chae’s family and relatives shed tears and sobbed throughout the funeral, but after Private Jin’s eulogy, Corporal Chae’s mother hugged him and cried for a long time before eventually fainting and receiving emergency treatment.
The representative of the bereaved family expressed gratitude in his remarks, saying, "We thank the many officials who promptly awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, allowing him to be buried in the National Cemetery as a national merit and enabling a peaceful funeral," and added, "We hope that this accident will serve as an opportunity for the Marine Corps, which Su-geun loved, to investigate the cause and establish fundamental measures to prevent such tragic incidents from happening again."
On the 21st, the Boguk Medal, Gwangbok Class, awarded by the government, was placed at the condolence altar for the late Corporal Chaesugeun set up in the gymnasium 'Kim Daesik Hall' within the 1st Marine Division in Pohang, Gyeongbuk. [Photo by Yonhap News]
After the funeral, Corporal Chae’s remains will be cremated and interred at the National Daejeon Cemetery. Corporal Chae was swept away by a rapid current while searching for missing persons caused by heavy rain and landslides at Naeseongcheon in Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk, around 9 a.m. on the 19th, and was later found deceased.
Corporal Chae was the son of a firefighter who served for 27 years at the Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters and was an only child born through in vitro fertilization after 10 years of marriage. Originally from Namwon, Jeonbuk, Corporal Chae attended university in Jeonju but enlisted in the Marine Corps on March 27 of this year after completing his first year, and was transferred to the 1st Division in May.
The Ministry of National Defense and the Marine Corps posthumously promoted Corporal Chae from Private First Class to Corporal and awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation with the Gwangbok Medal upon his death in the line of duty. The Order of Merit for National Foundation is awarded to those who have made significant contributions to national security, and the Gwangbok Medal is the highest grade of this order that can be awarded to enlisted soldiers.
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