Thank You, We Will Not Forget... Busan Regional Veterans Affairs Office Holds "Yeongdo Guerrilla Unit Memorial Ceremony"

Honoring the Sacrifice of 419 Heroes
Remembering and Thanking the Irregular Warfare Heroes of the Korean War

We will forever remember the warriors who gave their lives for the nation.

The Busan Regional Veterans Affairs Office (Director: Lee Namil) held the "Yeongdo Guerrilla Unit Memorial Ceremony" on November 14 at the Yeongdo Guerrilla Unit historic site in Taejongdae Amusement Park to honor the noble sacrifices and patriotism of the Yeongdo Guerrilla Unit members who served during the Korean War.

The Busan Regional Veterans Affairs Office is holding the "Yeongdo Guerrilla Unit Memorial Ceremony" and taking a commemorative photo. Provided by the Busan Regional Veterans Affairs Office

The Yeongdo Guerrilla Unit was a special operations group formed immediately after the outbreak of the Korean War, consisting of about 1,200 anti-communist youths from North Hamgyong Province and Gangwon Province. They carried out irregular warfare missions by infiltrating deep behind enemy lines.

It is known that 419 of these individuals, who gave their lives to defend the nation without ranks or military serial numbers, were killed in action, and many others lost their lives without ever returning home. The memorial ceremony is held annually to remember their sacrifices and to honor their spirits.

This year, more than 150 people attended the memorial event, including the head of the Veterans Affairs Division of the Busan Regional Veterans Affairs Office, the mayor of Yeongdo District, the chairperson of the Yeongdo District Council, the commander of the 1st Battalion, 126th Brigade, 53rd Infantry Division of the Army, the president of the Yeongdo District Branch of the Korea Freedom Federation, the president of the Veterans Association, bereaved families, and citizens. The ceremony was solemnly conducted in the following order: national salute, introduction of the unit's history, memorial address, offering of flowers and incense, commemorative speech, and a group photo.

A representative from the Busan Regional Veterans Affairs Office, quoting the inscription on the Yeongdo Guerrilla Unit monument, stated, "The young members, who had neither ranks nor serial numbers, headed to the battlefield for their country, expecting neither compensation nor reward, fully prepared never to return. The Veterans Affairs Office will continue its efforts to ensure that the spirit of national devotion demonstrated by the Yeongdo Guerrilla Unit members is passed down to future generations."