Incheon City declared its leap to become an 'International Cities of Peace' this year, marking the 74th anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation.
On the 11th, at the 74th anniversary commemoration ceremony of the Incheon Landing Operation held at the Open Port Square of Inner Port Piers 1 and 8, the city officially announced its membership as the 418th member city of the International Cities of Peace, a UN-approved non-governmental organization. This organization is an alliance of world cities aiming for peace, and Incheon plans to lead activities that uphold the universal human values of peace and freedom.
Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok stated, "Incheon has healed the wounds of war and grown into an international city through the world's best international airport, port, and free economic zone," adding, "We will play a role in leading peace and urban community growth in solidarity with world cities to realize the value of prosperity based on the peace, freedom, and humanitarian spirit protected by the veterans."
Incheon City expects that joining the International Cities of Peace will form a consensus on the value of the Incheon Landing Operation through connections with the international community and serve as a solid foundation for its journey to becoming a global city of peace.
On the 11th, the flags of the participating countries entered at the '74th Anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation Victory Ceremony' held at Pier 8 of Incheon Inner Port. [Photo by Incheon City]
Meanwhile, the commemorative ceremony, hosted by Incheon City and the Naval Headquarters, began with the entrance of flags from 22 countries that participated in the Korean War, followed by a moment of silence, video messages from commanders of the participating countries, veterans’ reminiscences, the declaration of the International Cities of Peace membership, and congratulatory performances.
Following the ceremony, a 1.4 km victory parade commemorating the Incheon Landing Operation was held along the route connecting Dongincheon Station of the Gyeongin Line and the Incheon Football Stadium. The parade included 1,800 participants such as veterans, naval and marine honor guards and military bands, and members of veterans’ organizations, along with about 30 pieces of equipment including tanks, armored vehicles, and helicopters.
Additionally, a dedication ceremony for a new relief of General MacArthur was held at Incheon Freedom Park. In response to criticism that the existing relief installed in 1957 was based on a photo of the Leyte Gulf Landing Operation in the Philippines rather than the Incheon Landing Operation, the city installed two new works.
The new works, each measuring 2.75 meters wide and 1.36 meters high like the existing relief, were created based on photos showing General MacArthur observing the landing operation from a ship during the Incheon Landing Operation and U.S. Marines landing over the breakwater on the Red Coast. These photos were obtained from the MacArthur Memorial in Virginia, USA.
Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok is examining the relief sculpture with attendees at the 'General MacArthur Statue Relief Unveiling Ceremony' held at Jayu Park on the 11th. [Photo by Incheon City]
The Incheon Landing Operation, codenamed 'Operation Chromite,' carried out on September 15, 1950, involved 261 vessels from eight countries including South Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom, making it the largest amphibious operation since World War II. The allied forces attacked the flanks of the North Korean army and overturned the tide of the Korean War by recapturing Seoul within 90 days.
Incheon City plans to hold a large-scale international event next year, marking the 75th anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation, inviting heads of state from the eight participating countries, aiming for an event comparable to the Normandy Landings in France.
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