Is It So Hard to say “You’ve worked hard to protect our country,” Association of Teenage Soldiers of the Korean War Finally Closes

2020-5-7, Chosun Ilbo [Translation]

“All we ask is for you to say ‘You worked so hard to protect our country.’  I don’t understand why it’s so difficult to say it to us.  Now I give up having that expectation.”

Yoon Han-soo (윤한수) (87), chairman of the Association of National Teenage Veterans of Korean War (소년소녀병전우회 중앙회) said in a recent interview, “We had no choice but to give up our hopes held for the past 16 years.” The office in Taepyeong-ro, Jung District, Daegu City, closed at the end of last month, and the group ended its activities.  Founded in 2004, it was operated to fulfill one hope–“for the child veterans of the Korean War to be treated as national meritorious persons,” but in the end, it remains a sorrow of old soldiers.

Chairman Yoon said, “The legislation to grant the National Merit for the child veterans has been proposed to the National Defense Committee of the 16th to 20th National Assembly, but it has not been passed.”   Despite the tireless efforts, we could not complete the task, and all I have left is to wait until I join my dead fellow soldiers.  Due to the coronavirus, the Boy and Girl Veterans Association could not even hold its final meeting.  Notice of the suspension of activities was also given only in text messages.

The 140 members of the Boy and Girl Veterans Association did not receive outside assistance, but covered the rent and operational expenses with the membership fee of ₩50,000 (~$41) per person per year.  They tried hard, asking the government and the National Assembly for recognition of the sacrifices of these child veterans.  Thanks to this, the fact of the existence of the teenage veterans was recognized, and these teenage veterans receive war pensions slightly under ₩300,000 (~$245) per month. But that was it. They sent petitions to the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs requesting the honor of national merit, but were rejected. The reason given was “there is a problem of equity giving people national merit status just for participating in a war as youths, when other national meritorious persons earned merit based on individual achievements.”

The members of the Association of National Teenage Veterans of Korean War are heroes who defended their homeland by participating in the battle of the Nakdong River at a young age during the Korean War. These teen veterans are soldiers, who fought at the age of 14-17.  The Ministry of National Defense estimates 29,616 boys and girls fought during the Korean War.  Included are 462 girl soldiers.  Of these young soldiers, 2,573 died. The first battle they fought was known as the Battle of Dabu-dong on the Nakdong River Defense Line on August 4, 1950. The 55-day bloody battle protected the Nakdong River defense line and laid the groundwork for the Incheon Landing operation.

Chairman Yoon said, “No matter which administration, they were the same in being quiet about the sacrifices of the teenage soldiers…I’m so frustrated…who will honor the spirits of these teenage soldiers?”  As the Teenage Veteran Association took down its signboard, the “Remembrance Ceremony in Honor of the Teenage Soldiers for Sacrificing Their Lives for Their Country,” held in June every year at the Nakdong River Victory Memorial Hall in Nam-gu, Daegu, also cannot be held this year.

Source:  http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2020/05/07/2020050700140.html