Turkey soldiers during the 1950-53 Korean War. (image: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)
SEOUL, March 30 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will name a bike path at a former battle site after Turkey this week, under a program to commemorate the participation of the country and 21 others in the 1950-53 Korean War, the veterans ministry said Thursday.
The ministry has arranged the program to remember the sacrifices of troops from the countries that supported South Korea under a U.N. mandate during the conflict, as Seoul marks the 70th anniversary of the armistice that halted the war.
It plans to designate the path in Gimnyangjang-dong in Yongin, 42 kilometers south of Seoul, as the “Road of Turkiye” during a ceremony on Saturday.
The ceremony is set to take place as part of the ministry’s cycling event in the area, which will be attended by some 100 people, including Veterans Minister Park Min-shik, Turkish Ambassador to Seoul Murat Tamer and cyclists from across the country.
Turkish troops fought in a fierce dayslong battle in the area in January 1951 to recapture the area once occupied by Chinese forces then allied with North Korean forces.
The ministry plans to hold similar cycling ceremonies and other commemorative events throughout the year to show the South’s appreciation to the 22 countries that sent troops or other forms of support to South Korea.
During the Korean War, Turkey dispatched 21,212 troops — the fourth most of the 22 countries. Among them, 996 were killed, 1,155 wounded and 244 taken as prisoners, according to the ministry.
(Yonhap)
