In the United States, Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, and this year it was on May 31st. In Korea, Memorial Day is a federal holiday that is observed on June 6th every year. It is a holiday to honor and mourn the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties while defending the country. June 6th is designated as a “red day” (statutory holiday) in Korea, which means a national holiday.
As many of you are aware, the Korean penninsula is divided into two: North and South Korea. After the Japanese Colonial Period, the Korean provisional government was founded on August 15, 1948, but unfortunately it only lasted took two years (Korean War began in 1950). During the war with North Korea, over 400,000 Korean soldiers lost their lives and over 1,000,000 civilians were either reported dead or injured. 16 countries, including France, United States of America, Thailand, United Kingdom, Philippines, and Canada, participated in the Korean War to aid South Korea. Among the allies, the United States dispatched the most soldiers; over 300,000 military soldiers, which made up about 40% of total military power in South Korea.
Three years after the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement in 1953, the government of South Korea decided to observe June 6 as a Memorial Day and holds commemorate events to remember the significance and important meanings of the Korean War.
Why not learn more about Korea’s history to commemorate Memorial Day on June 6th? Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War and The Front Lin’ are historical K-movies that manifest the devastating war during 6.25 (a.k.a. Korean War). Spend this weekend with your friends and family to talk about the history of Korea!
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