What will happen at the International Memorial Day ceremony for U.N. Korean War veterans in Busan?

At 11 a.m., a memorial siren will sound across Busan as attendees observe one minute of silence. A 21-gun salute will take place at the same time, followed by wreath-laying by key attendees.

Why is Nov. 11 designated as the International Memorial Day for U.N. Korean War veterans?

South Korea designated Nov. 11 after a law honoring the veterans passed in March 2020. The annual observance remembers U.N. veterans who fought alongside South Korean forces during the 1950-53 war.

How did the Turn Toward Busan commemoration begin?

Canadian veteran Vincent Courtenay proposed the commemoration in 2007, calling for people across U.N. allied nations to observe a one-minute silence toward the memorial cemetery in Busan.

Int'l Memorial Day for UN Korean War veterans to be held in Busan

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Summary

The International Memorial Day for U.N. Korean War veterans will be commemorated at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan on Wednesday. The annual ceremony honors veterans who fought alongside South Korean forces during the 1950-53 Korean War. Around 1,000 people are expected, including veterans and their families from six nations, diplomats, U.N. Command service members and members of the public. At 11 a.m., a siren will sound for a one-minute silence, followed by a 21-gun salute and wreath-laying.

Key Facts

The cemetery is in Busan, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
The ceremony’s theme is A Moment to Be One, Turn Toward Busan.
Canadian veteran Vincent Courtenay proposed the commemoration in 2007 as a one-minute silence across U.N. allied nations.
South Korea officially designated Nov. 11 as the memorial day after a law honoring the veterans passed in March 2020.
The Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 10, 2026 9:49 am KST

Visitors to the UN Memorial Cemetery pay respect to UN veterans fallen during the 1950-53 Korean War in Busan, Oct. 23. Yonhap

An annual international commemoration will take place in the South Korean city of Busan later this week to remember U.N. veterans fallen during the 1950-53 Korean War, the veterans ministry said Tuesday.

The International Memorial Day for U.N. Korean War Veterans is scheduled to be held at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Korea in the port city, some 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Wednesday, the ministry said in a release.

Seoul hosts the event Nov. 11 every year to honor the veterans who fought alongside South Korean forces under the U.N. flag against the Soviet-backed North Korea during the three-year conflict. The war ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Under the theme "A Moment to Be One, Turn Toward Busan," the ceremony will bring together around 1,000 attendees, including Korean War veterans and their families from six participating nations, foreign diplomats based in Seoul, U.N. Command service members and members of the general public.

At exactly 11 a.m., a memorial siren will echo throughout Busan for a one-minute silence to honor the fallen soldiers. A 21-gun salute will be rendered concurrently in the highest tribute, with the laying of wreaths by key attendees to follow, the ministry said.

The commemoration began in 2007 with the proposal by Canadian veteran Vincent Courtenay for a one-minute silence toward the Busan memorial cemetery across all U.N. allied nations.

Nov. 11 was officially designated the International Memorial Day for U.N. Korean War veterans following the passage of a South Korean law on honoring them in March 2020.

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