On the morning of the 13th at 10 AM, a conference will be held at the Sofitel Ambassador in Seoul. The event is organized to commemorate the UN Forces Participation Day by setting up a ‘UN Participating Nations Flag Street’ at the Daejeon National Cemetery in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. This initiative is meant to express gratitude to the 1.98 million UN soldiers from 22 countries who defended South Korea during the Korean War. The event’s purpose is to inform the public about their sacrifices and contributions.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on the 10th that representatives from nine participating UN nations, including the US, Thailand, Turkey, Denmark, Norway, France, Italy, the UK, and Germany, will visit Korea to attend the international veterans conference in Seoul on the 13th.
The International Veterans Conference has been held annually since 2005 to share excellent examples of veterans policies and to enhance friendly and cooperative relationships through policy exchanges. During the conference starting at 10 AM at the Sofitel Ambassador in Seoul, UN participating countries will present and discuss veterans-related policies.
The day’s conference, themed ‘Realizing Comprehensive Veterans Affairs and the Need for the Expansion of Veterans Culture,’ will commence with a keynote speech by Lee Hee-wan, Vice Minister of the Veterans Affairs Ministry, followed by a congratulatory speech by Jon Santiago, Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA.
The conference will be divided into two sessions, discussing current challenges of the Veterans Affairs Ministry, such as the renovation of the Seoul National Cemetery and creating a culture of veterans affairs through public-private cooperation.
Minister Kang Jung-ae of the Veterans Affairs Ministry stated, “Based on excellent examples of national cemetery management and public-private cooperation from participating UN countries, as well as feedback from their representatives, we will renovate the Seoul National Cemetery into a space of remembrance and culture that the public can enjoy regularly. We will strive to create a ‘veterans affairs for all’ culture that the public can participate in.”