6.25 War Veterans and Family Tomb Enshrinement
Presiding Over Afternoon Dinner Meeting with Hawaii Korean Community
President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee arrived at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, USA, on the 8th (local time) ahead of attending the 75th NATO summit, where they received welcome flower garlands and walked between the honor guard. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the 8th (local time), President Yoon Suk-yeol arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, and began his visit to the United States by visiting the United States Pacific National Cemetery, where Korean War veterans are buried. The US Pacific National Cemetery is the resting place for over 10,000 Korean War veterans and their families, as well as veterans from World War II and the Vietnam War.
President Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, arrived at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu that afternoon. As President Yoon and Mrs. Kim disembarked from Air Force One, they were greeted by Josh Green, Governor of Hawaii, and his spouse; Samuel Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, and his spouse; Goldberg, US Ambassador to Korea; and Lakamera, Commander of US Forces Korea. About 20 soldiers dressed in US Army, Navy, and Air Force uniforms stood in formation and saluted the presidential couple.
The presidential couple then moved to the Pacific National Cemetery, where, guided by James Horton, Director of the Pacific National Cemetery, they laid a wreath and paid tribute to the US veterans buried there. After the wreath-laying, President Yoon and Mrs. Kim exchanged greetings with six Korean War US veterans present at the site.
The reason President Yoon and his wife visited the Pacific National Cemetery in Honolulu before attending the NATO summit in Washington D.C. is because this site symbolizes the Korea-US alliance. The Pacific National Cemetery area is a volcanic crater shaped like a bowl, nicknamed the "Punchbowl." Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, emphasized, "Through this visit and wreath-laying at the Punchbowl National Cemetery, President Yoon reflected on the historical significance of the alliance and showed the highest respect to the veterans."
President Yoon paid respects at the grave of the late Benjamin Wilson, a US veteran who received the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded to US soldiers for their service in the Korean War. According to the presidential office, Wilson was a hero who subdued the enemy during the Battle of Hwacheon on June 5, 1951, and despite being wounded, completed a cover mission for the withdrawal of his comrades, decisively contributing to the victory in the battle.
At the event, US attendees included Commander Paparo and his spouse, US Forces Korea Commander Paul Lakamera, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Director Horton of the Pacific National Cemetery, and US veterans. On the Korean side, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, National Security Office Director Jang Ho-jin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Deputy Chief Kang Ho-pil, Korean Ambassador to the US Cho Hyun-dong, Consul General Lee Seo-young in Honolulu, First Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo of the National Security Office, Chief of Public Relations Lee Do-woon, and Defense Secretary Choi Byung-ok participated.
That afternoon, President Yoon will hold a dinner meeting with Korean expatriates, and on the 9th, he plans to visit the US Indo-Pacific Command to receive briefings on military and security matters and encourage the troops. After completing the two-day stay in Hawaii, he will move to Washington D.C. to attend the core event of his US visit, the NATO summit.
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