Friday (June 25) marks the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. This year's commemoration of the fratricidal war has a special meaning as tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated following the North's torpedo attack on the South's warship that killed 46 sailors on March 26.
Even without the latest military provocation from Pyongyang, the worst national tragedy in modern history, Korea has sufficient reasons to remember the three-year-long war and those who sacrificed themselves to defend freedom and democracy.
It is more than necessary to look back on the inter-Korean conflict at a time when the nation also marks the centennial of Japan's forced annexation of Korea, the 50th anniversary of the April 19 pro-democracy movement, and 30th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju uprising for democracy.
The history of the nation in the last two centuries had been characterized by a series of ordeals and tribulations. The war less than five years after the nation's liberation from Japanese colonial rule left deep scars in the hearts of the people of both South and North Korea.
What's important now is to draw a lesson from the internecine war that claimed the lives of about 140,000 South Korean soldiers and killed nearly 2.5 million civilians on the peninsula. Under the banner of the United Nations, 16 countries including the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand sent 610,000 troops to repulse the North Korean invaders. Around 50,000 of the U.N. forces were killed.
The Korean conflict left an indelible mark in the national history with its legacy still haunting the two Koreas. The North's sinking of the South's 1,200-ton frigate Cheonan is a vivid reminder of the still reverberating animosity and hostility between the two sides. On the other hand, the war has increasingly slid into oblivion. It is extremely sad that more than 50 percent of youth in their teens and 20s do not know when the Korean War erupted, according to a recent public survey.
The government, the academic community and schools have come under attack for neglecting to teach young people about the true picture of the war. In particular, bureaucrats and politicians have done little to bring the war to memory and honor those who fought for the nation.
South Korea owes the U.N. troops too much. But the Seoul government has been too stingy to express its thanks. Six years later on Monday, a National Assembly committee adopted a resolution to extend gratitude to the 16 nations that dispatched their troops. The plenary Assembly session plans to pass the belated resolution next week.
The measure is in stark contrast with the United States which still remembers the war better than South Korea. This month, U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate approved a joint resolution commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and reaffirming alliance between the two countries. Last year, President Barack Obama proclaimed July 27 as ``National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day."
The Seoul government plans to invite 2,400 Korean War veterans from the 16 countries this year to honor their service. But the authorities should bring more surviving veterans to the country and hold more commemorative events to recognize their dedication. Let's not forget the war and learn a true lesson from it in order to avoid a repetition of the tragic history and attain permanent peace on the peninsula.