'Moment To Be One, Turn Toward Busan'

Descendants of Korean War veterans of 21 U.N. allied nations gather in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, on Oct. 31 to encourage people to participate in the “Turn Toward Busan International Commemorative Ceremony.” They called on people around the world to offer a one-minute silent tribute to U.N. fallen soldiers during the 1950-53 war by turning toward Busan at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11. / Courtesy of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs

People around the world to observe 1-minute silence at 11 am on Nov. 11

By Jun Ji-hye

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will host a “Turn Toward Busan International Commemorative Ceremony” Tuesday to be held in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in the port city in honor of and as a tribute to the U.N. soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War.

According to the ministry, 40,670 servicemen of the 21 U.N. allied nations were killed during the conflict, with 104,280 wounded and 4,116 missing.

The cemetery in Busan is the only place in the world where the fallen U.N. servicemen will be commemorated.

The event calls on people across the globe to offer a one-minute silent tribute to the war dead by turning toward Busan wherever they are at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11.

Korean War veterans of the 21 U.N. allied nations, including the United States, Canada, and Turkey, will also take part in the one-minute respectful silence at 11 a.m.

The main ceremony will be heralded with sirens that will sound out across Busan, South Korea’s port city.

Korean War veterans of the United Nations forces walk to the statute of a fallen soldier to lay a wreath during a memorial ceremony at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan on April 25. / Courtesy of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs

“In the U.S., nearly 100 war veterans, mostly members of the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA), will participate first in a ceremony to commemorate Veterans Day with other veterans in Arlington National Cemetery,” stated the ministry in its press release. “Later, the veterans will gather at the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the Mall in Washington to place a wreath. There, they will pay a one-minute silent tribute by turning toward Busan.”

In Canada, a ceremony will be held in the capital city of Ottawa with joint sponsors _ the KWVA of Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada, the Department of National Defense and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea.

“The Ottawa ceremony will be held at 9 p.m. on Nov. 10, so as to be synchronized with the ceremony in Busan,” said the ministry. “Nearly 200 participants, including Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Korean Ambassador to Canada Cho Hee-yong, as well as war veterans and their families, will join the event to lay a wreath and give a one-minute silent prayer by turning toward Busan.”

In Busan, about 1,000 participants, including Minster of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Sung-choon and Canada Senator Yonah Martin, along with veterans and active soldiers, will join the commemorative ceremony.

Martin is the first Canadian of Korean descent to serve in the Senate of Canada and the first Korean-Canadian parliamentarian in Canadian history.

“Students from nearly 100 local schools and citizens nationwide will pause for one minute by turning toward Busan at 11 a.m.,” said the ministry.

Minister Park already sent messages to express the gratitude of the Republic of Korea to the 21 nations whose sons and daughters served in Korean War as part of the U.N. forces.

This year, the ministry plans to hold the event along with the opening ceremony of the U.N. Peace Memorial Hall, the world’s first U.N. museum, which was recently built near the cemetery.

Holding commemorative ceremonies worldwide to give silent tribute simultaneously to fallen U.N. soldiers was first inspired in 2007 by Vincent Courtenay, a Canadian Korean War veteran.

“Courtenay called for pausing for one minute by turning toward Busan where the world’s only U.N. cemetery is located. The Busan cemetery is a sacred place for the U.N. fallen who sacrificed their lives during the Korean War,” the ministry said.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has developed the ceremony as the government-level official event from 2008.

“The ministry expects the ceremony to be developed as an international tribute event so that it can contribute to enhancing diplomacy in veterans’ affairs,” it said.

Toward that end, the ministry is conducting the online campaign at

www.turntowardbusan.com

to invite people around the world to share the spirit of the event to commemorate the sacrifice and commitment of the U.N. soldiers.

Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye