Repatriation Ceremony Held for the Remains of Late Korean War Veteran Johannes Horstman

Eternal Rest at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan

A repatriation ceremony will be held for the remains of the late Johannes Horstman, a Dutch veteran who fought in the Korean War.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on April 28 that the repatriation ceremony for the remains of the late Johannes Horstman will take place on April 29 at the arrival hall of Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport. Johannes Horstman volunteered to fight in the Korean War in 1950 at the age of 21.

Johannes Horstman arrived at Busan Port in 1952 and was tasked with building bunkers at York Hill in Cheorwon. In 1953, he lost seven comrades but continued to defend trenches in the Iron Triangle, successfully repelling ongoing attacks.

When he visited Korea in 2015 as part of a revisit program, he witnessed the Korean government honoring British veterans' remains with deep respect and gratitude. Inspired by this, in 2017, he sent letters to both the Dutch Ambassador to Korea and the Korean Ambassador to the Netherlands, expressing his wish to be laid to rest at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery.

As he had no surviving family, he left a will requesting that the Netherlands Veterans Association act as his family during his burial. For this repatriation, Petrus Cornelis Wessel, a director of the Netherlands Veterans Association, will visit Korea as the representative. Five members currently serving in the Van Heutsz Unit will also travel to Korea. Petrus Cornelis Wessel is the son of the late Nicolaas Frans Wessel, a veteran who was interred at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in 2016.

Attendees at the repatriation ceremony will include Minister Kang Jeongae, Peter van der Vliet, the Dutch Ambassador to Korea, and others. The ceremony will be brief, with the Ministry of National Defense honor guard lining up to pay respects to the remains and escorting the urn to the transport vehicle. After the ceremony, the remains will be temporarily placed at the Seoul National Cemetery before being interred at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on April 30.

Minister Kang stated, "We offer our deepest condolences and gratitude to the late Johannes Horstman, who will find eternal rest in the Republic of Korea?a land of freedom and peace preserved by his courage and sacrifice during the Korean War." She added, "The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will continue to actively pursue a range of international veterans affairs projects, including the repatriation of remains, descendant exchange camps, and revisit invitation programs, to honor and carry forward the sacrifices and dedication of United Nations veterans from 22 countries, including Mr. Horstman."

Meanwhile, since the late Raymond Bernard, a French veteran, was first interred in May 2015, a total of 29 United Nations veterans have been buried at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery. With the interment of the late Johannes Horstman, the total will reach 30 United Nations veterans who have found their final resting place at the cemetery in Busan.