With only 20,000 Korean War veterans still alive, gov't steps up efforts to preserve their stories

PYEONGTAEK, Gyeonggi Province — When a group of Korean War veterans visited Camp Humphreys on Nov. 5, the emotional meeting with a new generation of American soldiers offered a rare moment of recognition.

However, for the roughly 20,000 Korean veterans of the 1950-53 war still living — now averaging 94 years old — the more urgent question is whether the government can provide adequate care, medical support and financial assistance in their remaining years.

Vice Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kang Yun-jin, who accompanied them, said the visit brought back memories of her earlier work promoting exchanges between Korean and American veterans.

Watching the veterans receive a warm welcome from U.S. soldiers was particularly moving, she said.

But beyond such occasions, Kang said the government’s priority must be ensuring that veterans receive proper care and recognition while they are still alive.

“What matters most is ensuring that veterans can spend their remaining years in good health and comfort, with the pride and honor they deserve for their service to the country,” Kang told The Korea Times.

The ministry is working to improve financial support, medical care and assistance with daily life for aging veterans.

The government has proposed raising the monthly allowance for war veterans by 50,000 won ($38), from 490,000 won this year to 540,000 won in 2027. If approved, it would be the largest increase since 2018.

Financial assistance for low-income veterans was also extended in March to include surviving spouses.

The ministry is seeking to expand its network of designated hospitals from 1,117 to 2,000 by 2030, allowing veterans to receive treatment closer to home. It is also upgrading medical facilities at existing veterans hospitals.

For elderly veterans living alone, the government provides home-care services and has introduced an artificial intelligence-assisted monitoring system that uses phone activity and door sensors to detect potential emergencies.

Kang recalled a conversation with a Korean War veteran she met while helping serve meals at a veterans’ event.

“We defended our country when it was in trouble. Now we ask our country to protect us,” the veteran told her.

Kang said the words had stayed with her.

“We will do our utmost to ensure that veterans can live with dignity until the very end of their lives,” she said.

Beyond providing care, the ministry is working to preserve veterans’ firsthand accounts of the war as their numbers continue to decline.

“Veterans’ experiences and testimonies are invaluable to understanding Korea’s history and the importance of freedom and peace,” Kang said.

The ministry operates a digital archive containing interviews, personal records and other materials from veterans from countries that fought in the Korean War under the U.N. Command. As of July, the archive contained 514 interviews.

The materials are used in school lessons and educational programs, while a separate initiative connects Korean schools with those in countries that sent troops during the war.

Kang said younger generations should remember that the veterans they see today were once teenagers and young adults.

“The veterans here today were young people themselves more than 70 years ago, no different from today’s generation,” she said.

Among those visiting Camp Humphreys was Ryu Jae-sik, who enlisted at 18 and fought on the front lines, and Kang Ku-kon, who volunteered at 15 and helped care for wounded American soldiers at an Eighth Army field hospital.