Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai speaks at Seoul National Cemetery in southern Seoul on July 25, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai was set to embark on a trip to Britain on Thursday to drum up support for South Korea’s bid to host an international sports event for injured service members, her office said.
In a two-nation swing, Kang will first visit Britain through Sunday, followed by a four-day trip to Ethiopia as part of efforts to boost international engagement in veterans affairs.
In Britain, Kang will visit the headquarters of the Invictus Games Foundation to express South Korea’s intention to host the event in 2029 and seek the foundation’s support, according to the ministry.
The Invictus Games was founded by Britain’s Prince Harry in 2014 as a multinational sports competition for wounded, injured and sick service members. The next edition of the games will take place in Vancouver next February.
Kang will also visit the National Archives of the United Kingdom to view documents of Britain’s foreign ministry during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea and ask for cooperation to find materials on Korea’s independence movement.
Her itinerary also includes a visit to the Chelsea Royal Hospital in London to meet British veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War.
On Monday, Kang will travel to Ethiopia for a four-day trip to pay respects to veterans who took part in the Korean War, attending an unveiling ceremony of a monument for Ethiopian Korean War veterans.
She will also meet Ethiopian Defense Minister Aisha Mohammed to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation on veterans affairs.
Ethiopia and Britain are among the 22 countries that sent troops or other forms of support to South Korea during the three-year conflict, which ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.
(Yonhap)
