Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) speaks during the 17th annual National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day commemoration in Washington on July 24, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
WASHINGTON, Jul. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — U.S. lawmakers, Korean Americans and others gathered in Washington on Wednesday to honor Korean War veterans and hope for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, as they commemorated the signing of the armistice that halted the conflict 71 years ago.
Celebrating the National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, the annual event started at 6:25 p.m. in reference to June 25, 1950, when the war broke out, while a candlelight ceremony took place at 7:27 p.m. to symbolize the date when the armistice was signed in 1953.
Enacted in 2009, the Korean War Veterans Recognition Act created the special day. The act was sponsored by former Congressman Charles Rangel, a Korean American veteran himself.
Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), a Korean American, highlighted the sacrifices of Korean War veterans, saying that the memories of the “forgotten war” might have faded, but for her, they are “crystal clear.”
“As a Korean American, I am here because of the sacrifice of our brave Korean War veterans,” she said.
Though 71 years have passed since the armistice halted the conflict, the United States cannot “sleep on” the threats from a recalcitrant North Korea, she pointed out.
“I will continue to work on the House Foreign Affairs Committee to be one of the loudest voices for the oppressed North Korean (people) … and hold (North Korean leader) Kim Jong-un accountable and push for the full denuclearization of North Korea,” she said.
“Like many of you, I pray for one day … for a unified Korean Peninsula. Hopefully, that will happen in our lifetime.”
Also among the high-profile attendees was Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), nicknamed an “honorary Korean American” due to her husband of Korean descent.
She reiterated her efforts to support Korean American families with war-torn loved ones in North Korea.
“We must continue efforts to continue to educate the American public on the heartbreaking pain they continue to face,” she said. “I will also continue to support efforts to strengthen the relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea through our economies and mutual defense.”
Meng underscored the strength of the alliance between Seoul and Washington, casting it as being “rooted in mutual trust, shared sacrifice and common values of freedom and democracy.”
The event was co-hosted by the Council of Korean Americans, the Federation of Korean Associations, the Korean American Grassroots Conference and other institutions.
(Yonhap)
