By UN Journal Kayla Lee

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul hosted a luncheon for diplomatic corps members from countries that participated in the Korean War in Daegu, Korea, to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the Korean War on June 25.

The luncheon was organized to honor the sacrifices and hard work of the 22 participating countries and more than 2 million veterans who contributed to the defense of Korea's freedom and democracy.

Military support countries are the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Turkiye, Australia, Greece, Philippines, Thailand, Ethiopia, Netherlands, Colombia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, South Africa, Luxembourg (16 countries in total).

Medical assistance countries are Sweden, Norway, India, Denmark, Italy, and Germany (6 countries total).

In his remarks at the luncheon, Cho noted that United Nations Command, which took over the roles and missions of the participating countries over the past 70 years since the outbreak of the Korean War, has continued to defend freedom and peace on the Korean Peninsula. 

He also emphasized that the Washington Declaration, adopted on July 27, 1953, embodies the determination of the 16 contributing countries to immediately unite under one United Nations flag in the event of a recurrence of armed aggression on the Korean Peninsula.

Cho also noted that North Korea's threats to peace and stability have been constant over the past 70 years since the outbreak of the war. 

In particular, as the Russian leader recently recalled the Soviet Union's participation in the Korean War, he emphasized that the ROK government will continue to strengthen the expansionary deterrence of the ROK-U.S. alliance and trilateral security cooperation with the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, as well as deepen cooperation with the international community, in order to resolutely respond to any future acts that violate Security Council resolutions or threaten the security of the Republic of Korea.

In his remarks, U.S. Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg (Representative of the Bureau of Military Assistance) emphasized that the U.N. Command, which was first established more than 70 years ago, continues to play a key role in safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and referred to the Washington Declaration issued by the leaders of the two countries in 2023, stating that the U.S. and South Korea are facing security threats together.

In her remarks, Anne Kari Hansen Ovind, Ambassador of Norway to the Republic of Korea (Representative of the Medical Assistance Bureau), expressed concern over North Korea's recent violations of UN resolutions and the growing cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and expressed her country's willingness to actively contribute to stability and peace around the world, as the security of the Korean Peninsula, the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe are closely interconnected.

Through this luncheon, Minister Cho declared his country's determination to seek a greater role and responsibility for freedom, peace, and prosperity around the world as it continues to pursue a free and unified Korean Peninsula, and took the opportunity to reflect on the value of the sacrifices and efforts of the 22 participating nations in the Korean War that have helped make Korea what it is today.