Memorial foundation launched to honor UN forces who fought in Korean War

The Korean War U.N. Veterans Memorial foundation holds its inauguration ceremony, Wednesday. Courtesy of the Korean War U.N. Veterans Memorial foundation

A foundation was launched Wednesday to honor tens of thousands of United Nations forces who fought for South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, with an inauguration ceremony held in Seoul.

As its first commemorative project, the foundation plans to erect a memorial wall bearing the names of about 40,000 U.N. forces who served in the civil war, through fundraising from government, corporate and individual donors.

It will also seek to install sculptures depicting combat troops from 16 participating countries, as well as those from six U.S. military units, under the title, "U.N. forces on Korean battlefields."

Envisioned projects also include the creation of a commemorative park in central Seoul to enhance public access.

The Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war. Nearly 180,000 South Korean and U.N. Command troops were killed during the war, including 36,940 Americans.

Sixteen countries provided combat troops to fight on the South's side, including Canada, France, New Zealand, Turkey, Thailand and Ethiopia.