By Choe Chong-dae
I was delighted to learn Thai Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn ascended to the throne last Dec. 1, and was crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun at Dusit Palace in Bangkok.
Tracing back ancient history, the first official contact between Siam, now Thailand, and Goryeo, now Korea, was made during the reign of Goryeo Kingdom's King Gongyang (1389-1392). According to the official chronicles of the Goryeo Kingdom, the Goryeo-sa, the Kingdom of Xienluohu (Siam) sent Nai Gong as an envoy along with native products and a letter presented to the king of Goryeo in 1391. The king warmly received the delegation and treated his guests with generosity and kindness. Over the next few months, the Siamese were introduced to a wide range of Korean culture. The following year, Gongyang was deposed and Goryeo was replaced by Joseon (1392-1910).
The two countries only resumed contact when Thailand dispatched 11,786 soldiers with 4 tons of rice as food aid during the Korean War (1950-53), as part of the U.N. Allied Forces. One hundred twenty-four Thai soldiers sacrificed their lives in defense of South Korea.
Those Thai troops achieved brilliant results throughout the war, thanks to their outstanding combat skills and bravery. Consequently, they were nicknamed the "Little Tigers" by General James Van Fleet, Eighth U.S. Army commander. At the same time, those Little Tigers demonstrated remarkable Buddhism-based camaraderie and patriotism.
The Thai veterans took home unforgettable memories, such as the traditional Korean song "Arirang." In Thai, "Arirang" describes a true love story between a Thai soldier and a Korean woman during the war.
Thai troops were the last foreign troops other than U.S. forces to maintain an operational unit in Korea under the U.N. Command flag. Their dedication to Korea continues to this day through Liaison Officer Lieutenant Colonel Sittikorn Ruangjit at the UNC, who promotes security cooperation between the two countries in the areas of military technology and knowledge transfer.
In recognition of the outstanding courage and noble sacrifice of Thai soldiers during the war, a Thai pavilion was erected in Pocheon City in 1974, and other memorials were established later in places where they fought.
To celebrate Royal Thai Armed Forces Day, Sarun Charoensuwan, Ambassador of Thailand to Korea, hosted a reception at the Army Club in Seoul on Feb. 17, together with Defense Attache Anuwat Luengvilai and Air Force Attache Juck Suvannathat. The celebration included a photo exhibition of King Rama IX's achievements, particularly on rural and environmental development.
The event reminded me of former Thai Ambassador to Korea Major General Chote Klongvicha, later ambassador to Sweden, and Defense Attache Colonel Akaphol Somloop, later promoted to Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Both served in Korea from the late 1960s to the early 1970s and were close friends of my family. As a freshman in a Seoul university, I was invited by the defense attache to the Thai Armed Forces Day reception held at the U.S. Officers' Club in 1971. Although my English was really poor at that time, joining the party offered me a memorable introduction to Thai culture.
I still display with pride the gift the Thai defense attache presented to me. It is an ink rubber stamp of a Thai Buddhist image engraved on an ancient wooden block.
After Korea received military aid from Thailand almost seven decades ago, it's wonderful to know that Korean forces are conducting amphibious assaults in Thailand as part of the annual Cobra Gold exercise.
I look forward to seeing in place a mutual agreement to share military technology between Thailand and Korea, so both countries can further collaborate as they did during the Korean War.
Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co. and director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at choecd@naver.com.
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Tracing back ancient history, the first official contact between Siam, now Thailand, and Goryeo, now Korea, was made during the reign of Goryeo Kingdom's King Gongyang (1389-1392). According to the official chronicles of the Goryeo Kingdom, the Goryeo-sa, the Kingdom of Xienluohu (Siam) sent Nai Gong as an envoy along with native products and a letter presented to the king of Goryeo in 1391. The king warmly received the delegation and treated his guests with generosity and kindness. Over the next few months, the Siamese were introduced to a wide range of Korean culture. The following year, Gongyang was deposed and Goryeo was replaced by Joseon (1392-1910).
The two countries only resumed contact when Thailand dispatched 11,786 soldiers with 4 tons of rice as food aid during the Korean War (1950-53), as part of the U.N. Allied Forces. One hundred twenty-four Thai soldiers sacrificed their lives in defense of South Korea.
Those Thai troops achieved brilliant results throughout the war, thanks to their outstanding combat skills and bravery. Consequently, they were nicknamed the "Little Tigers" by General James Van Fleet, Eighth U.S. Army commander. At the same time, those Little Tigers demonstrated remarkable Buddhism-based camaraderie and patriotism.
The Thai veterans took home unforgettable memories, such as the traditional Korean song "Arirang." In Thai, "Arirang" describes a true love story between a Thai soldier and a Korean woman during the war.
Thai troops were the last foreign troops other than U.S. forces to maintain an operational unit in Korea under the U.N. Command flag. Their dedication to Korea continues to this day through Liaison Officer Lieutenant Colonel Sittikorn Ruangjit at the UNC, who promotes security cooperation between the two countries in the areas of military technology and knowledge transfer.
In recognition of the outstanding courage and noble sacrifice of Thai soldiers during the war, a Thai pavilion was erected in Pocheon City in 1974, and other memorials were established later in places where they fought.
To celebrate Royal Thai Armed Forces Day, Sarun Charoensuwan, Ambassador of Thailand to Korea, hosted a reception at the Army Club in Seoul on Feb. 17, together with Defense Attache Anuwat Luengvilai and Air Force Attache Juck Suvannathat. The celebration included a photo exhibition of King Rama IX's achievements, particularly on rural and environmental development.
The event reminded me of former Thai Ambassador to Korea Major General Chote Klongvicha, later ambassador to Sweden, and Defense Attache Colonel Akaphol Somloop, later promoted to Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Both served in Korea from the late 1960s to the early 1970s and were close friends of my family. As a freshman in a Seoul university, I was invited by the defense attache to the Thai Armed Forces Day reception held at the U.S. Officers' Club in 1971. Although my English was really poor at that time, joining the party offered me a memorable introduction to Thai culture.
I still display with pride the gift the Thai defense attache presented to me. It is an ink rubber stamp of a Thai Buddhist image engraved on an ancient wooden block.
After Korea received military aid from Thailand almost seven decades ago, it's wonderful to know that Korean forces are conducting amphibious assaults in Thailand as part of the annual Cobra Gold exercise.
I look forward to seeing in place a mutual agreement to share military technology between Thailand and Korea, so both countries can further collaborate as they did during the Korean War.
Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co. and director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at choecd@naver.com.
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