Pyeongtaek City Holds 69th Anniversary Commemorative Event for South Africa's Korean War Participation

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Pyeongtaek City held a 69th anniversary commemorative event marking South Africa's participation in the Korean War on the 15th at the South African War Memorial in Yongi-dong.

Approximately 200 people attended the event, including Lee Jong-ho, Vice Mayor of Pyeongtaek City; Zenani Dlamini, South African Ambassador; Ji Gap-jong, President of the UN Korean War Veterans Association; Kwon Young-hwa, Speaker of the Pyeongtaek City Council; Kim Jung-tae, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Operations Command; Jung Byung-cheon, Director of the South Gyeonggi Veterans Affairs Office; heads of veterans organizations; members of the Korean War Veterans Association; and staff from the South African Embassy. They paid respects and laid flowers to comfort the spirits of the fallen.

The South African War Memorial was established in 1975 at its current location, which is the center of Suwon, Songtan, and Anseong airfields, to honor the achievements of the South African Air Force that fought to protect the Republic of Korea's freedom and peace during the Korean War, and to commemorate the spirits of 37 fallen soldiers who died in the war.

From October 16, 1950, until the armistice on October 29, 1953, South Africa was the only nation among 16 UN participating countries to dispatch exclusively an air force (826 personnel). The 2nd Combat Flight Squadron, known as the "Flying Cheetah," completed a total of 12,067 sorties, bombing 44 North Korean tanks, 147 anti-aircraft positions, 152 bridges, and 10,920 various facilities, recording remarkable achievements.

South African Ambassador Zenani Dlamini, also the eldest daughter of former South African President Nelson Mandela, said in her eulogy, "The South African War Memorial in Pyeongtaek, a concrete symbol of gratitude for South African war casualties, is a very special place." She added, "On behalf of South African war veterans, their families, and descendants, I express my deep gratitude to the city, the Korean War Veterans Association, and all citizens for preparing this event."

Vice Mayor Lee Jong-ho, reading the eulogy on behalf of Pyeongtaek City Mayor Jung Jang-seon, emphasized, "The precious sacrifices of war veterans from South Africa and other countries, domestic and international, 69 years ago, became the foundation for today's Republic of Korea to develop into a global economic powerhouse." He added, "Let us not forget the noble sacrifices of the Korean War veterans."