Events to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement took place across the UK, and in Seoul, capital of the Republic of Korea yesterday (27 July).
In London, Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and Defence Minister Baroness Annabel Goldie led the UK in remembering the 81,000 British servicemen who served in the conflict, including more than 1,000 personnel who were killed in action, at a Royal British Legion national memorial service on Horse Guards Parade.
Up to 1,000 people, including members of the Royal Family, foreign dignitaries and Korean War veterans, paid their respects at the ceremony outside the British Army’s Headquarters in London, where the Chief of the Defence Staff laid a wreath.
Serving personnel from the Household Division and the Royal Marines gave readings, and British soldiers built a ‘Drumhead’ in a traditional Army service where Regimental drums are placed on top of each other to form an altar.
Shortly after, a Bugler from British Army Band Colchester sounded The Last Post and led into a two-minute silence, which was broken when they played the Reveille.
In the Republic of Korea, Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey was joined by 11 British veterans of the conflict as he paid tribute to the UN partner forces who came from around the world to repel the North Korean invasion in 1950.
He was attending a special commemoration ceremony hosted by the ROK’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans to mark UN Forces Participation Day. This followed his visit yesterday to the Battle of the Imjin River (Gloster Hill) Memorial, where he laid a wreath to British personnel killed there, and throughout the Korean War.
Elsewhere across the UK, senior and junior ranks from all three services were present at the Scottish Korean War Memorial in West Lothian, where they laid wreaths after a short Remembrance ceremony.
The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire hosted an early morning ceremony attended by representatives of the three services who laid wreaths at the Korea Memorial and Armed Forces Memorial. A Piper from F Company Scots Guards, Lance Sergeant Douglas Warren, performed.
James Heappey, Minister for the Armed Forces said:
“It’s an honour to be in the Republic of Korea to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice alongside the veterans from the conflict.
“81,000 British Troops fought alongside the UN and Korea, with 1,108 paying the ultimate price. This anniversary presents an opportunity to reflect with pride on the role that all played in securing freedom for South Korea, on which a vibrant, dynamic and democratic society has been built.
“The anniversary is also an opportunity to celebrate the successes of our long enduring friendship and to reiterate the UK’s commitment to upholding peace and security in the Indo Pacific, and around the world.”
The Korean War began on June 25 1950 when the Northern Korean People’s Army launched a military operation to conquer South Korea and unify the territories of the Peninsula under the North Korean communist regime.
Armistice negotiations began in July 1951, but it wasn’t until two years later that a peace agreement was signed at Panmunjom and hostilities between the two nations finally ceased.
2023 marks 140 years of UK-Korea relations, with the Republic of Korea remaining a critical partner for the UK as both countries seek to uphold a rules-based international system, promote peace in the region and protect freedom of navigation.
The UK has made a clear commitment to enhancing Indo-Pacific security, by shifting greater resource to the region and developing nations’ ability to police and protect their waters.
