Landmine explosion victims receive medals

By Kang Seung-woo

Two Army staff sergeants who were wounded by landmine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in August received military medals for their sacrifices and courage, the Army said Wednesday.

SSgt. Kim Jung-won, who lost his foot and right ankle, and SSgt. Ha Jae-hun, who lost both his legs below the knee, were on patrol in the DMZ on Aug. 4, when they stepped on landmines planted by North Korean soldiers.

“The Order of National Security Merit Gwangbok Medal was conferred on the two men,” the Army announced. “Six other soldiers who also participated in the border patrol received citations from the President, defense minister and Army chief of staff.”

The Order of National Security Merit, presented to military personnel who render distinguished services for national security, is divided into five classes and the Gwangbok Medal is the fifth-grade class.

“In order to commemorate the bravery they displayed during the explosions, the Army has decided to award them the medals and citations,” the Army added.

Kim, 23, now with a new prosthetic foot, completed rehabilitation at the Armed Forces Medical Command (AFMC) last week and has returned to his unit, the reconnaissance battalion of the 1st Infantry Division, according to the Army. However, following a military assignment review, Kim is expected to continue his military service for a new unit.

Ha, 21, is still undergoing rehabilitation at the VHS Medical Center and will be transferred to the AFMC later, the military added.

Earlier this month, Taekwang Group and S-Oil announced that they will financially support the scholarship of both men from bachelor’s degrees to the PhD level, if they want.

In addition to the medals, the Army unveiled a sculpture to commemorate the operation of the eight soldiers in the DMZ to show Koreans’ desire for peace and unification at Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, near the DMZ.

The leg-shaped sculpture was made of part of an artillery shell that the Korean military used in retaliation for North Korea’s provocative move across the DMZ.

After the landmine explosions, the South Korean military resumed anti-Pyongyang broadcasting, provoking the North into responding with artillery that led to an inter-Korean exchange of artillery.