U.S. ambassador offers flower to late Korean War hero Paik U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris holds a white chrysanthemum, a traditional mourning flower, at the funeral home of Asan Medical Center in eastern Seoul on July 11, 2020, as he waits for his turn to pay his respects to Paik Sun-yup, a famous Korean War hero and South Korea’s first four-star general, who died the previous day. (Yonhap)
A true hero of the Korean War who has dedicated his life to serving his nation has passed away. Condolences to all his friends and family:
Paik Sun-yup
Paik Sun-yup, a South Korean military officer and a Korean War hero, died Friday at the age of 100.
Born in North Korea’s South Pyongan Province in 1920, he began his military career as an officer in the Manchukuo Imperial Army during the Japanese colonial era. Manchukuo was a puppet state established by Japan in Manchuria in northeastern China.
Paik went on to serve as a commander during the Korean War as well as Army Chief of Staff and South Korean representative during ceasefire talks.
During the Korean War, he commanded key battles including the Nakdong River Battle and in recognition of his service, he became South Korea’s first four-star general at age 33 in 1953.
After retiring as a general in 1960, he went on to become a diplomat and while serving as transport minister, he oversaw the construction of Seoul subway line one.
But due to his two-year service in the Gando Special Force, an independent battalion within the Manchukuo Imperial Army, he has been criticized as being pro-Japan.
U.S. Forces Korea Eighth Army Command in 2013 appointed him honorary commander for his service in the defense of South Korea during the Korean War.
Paik received many other honors and awards and also published several books.
I had the chance to talk to General Paik many years ago and got him to sign a copy of his book, From Pusan to Panmunjon (Memories of War). He was fascinating to talk to because his great memory of events that occurred and people he met during the Korean War. If you haven’t read his book I highly recommend reading it because of the ROK perspective it provides in regards to events during the Korean War.
General Paik will be buried at the National Cemetery in Daejeon instead of the National Cemetery in Seoul. This is because the newly elected National Assembly dominated by the Korean left, is planning to change the National Cemetery Act to remove the graves of “pro-Japan, anti-minjok [Korean] figures interred in the National Cemetery and install tombstones describing their pro-Japan activities.” This would effectively prevent him from being buried in the Seoul National Cemetery if passed. If General Paik was to pass away before this Act was changed he would face having his body removed from the cemetery.
So even in death General Paik cannot escape the hatred the Korean left has for him so vigorously serving his country.
General Paik Sun-yup is arguably South Korea’s greatest Korean War hero and if he was to pass away in the near term he may not be allowed to be buried or even have his body removed from the Seoul National Cemetery:
General Paik Sun-yup
It became known on May 26, 2020 that the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs recently visited the hero of the Korean War, General Paik Sun-yup (백선엽) and said, “If the National Cemetery Act (국립묘지법) is revised, [we’re] worried that General Paik could be interred at the National Cemetery in Seoul, only to be pulled out.” General Paik is 100 years old this year and his ability to move has been known to have degraded. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said, “I heard that General Baek’s health is not good, so we wanted to ask about his general health status,” but General Paik’s family said “Our family is considering even the most evil scenario.”
You can read the rest at the link, but what is going on is that the newly elected National Assembly dominated by the Korean left, is trying to change the National Cemetery Act to remove the graves of “pro-Japan, anti-minjok [Korean] figures interred in the National Cemetery and install tombstones describing their pro-Japan activities.” This would effectively prevent him from being buried in the Seoul National Cemetery if passed. If General Paik was to pass away before this Act was changed he would face having his body removed from the cemetery.
If the Korean left hates General Paik so much for helping stop a North Korean invasion, establishing the Republic of Korea, and speaking out against communism over the years, then an offer should be made for him to be interred in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan. There I believe he would be properly recognized for his contributions during the Korean War and to the nation of South Korea.
I had the chance to talk to General Paik many years ago and got him to sign a copy of his book, From Pusan to Panmunjon. He was fascinating to talk to because his great memory of events that occurred and people he met during the Korean War. If you haven’t read his book I highly recommend reading it because of the ROK perspective it provides in regards to events during the Korean War.
Opposition leader meets Korean War hero Hwang Kyo-ahn (R), leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, shakes hands with retired Gen. Paik Sun-yup, a Korean War hero, during their meeting at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on June 10, 2019. (Yonhap)
The US is not yet knowing the Fact that ROK former men in uniform including Gen. Paik Sun-yup are currently opposing the Pro-NK Moon Admin, More than 500 of former Generals gathered at War Memorial and oppose the Inter-Korea Mil agreement! #ROKUS#USFKhttps://t.co/sMFoSZWR1X
It is pretty amazing that General Paik Sun-yup is now 99 years old and still going strong:
Gen. Paik Sun-yup, in a wheelchair, center, is congratulated on his 99th birthday on Wednesday by a kneeling U.S. Ambassador to Korea Harry Harris, second from right, at the Ministry of National Defense Convention Center in central Seoul. [BYUN SUN-GOO]The U.S. Eighth Army held a surprise birthday party on Wednesday for General Paik Sun-yup, one of the most celebrated commanders of the 1950-53 Korean War.
The celebration of Paik’s 98th birthday — or the celebrated 99th by Korean count — was held at the Ministry of National Defense Convention Center in central Seoul with nearly the full roster of American representatives in Korea in attendance, including U.S. Ambassador to Korea Harry Harris and the new commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Gen. Robert B. Abrams.
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Park Han-ki and Commander of the First ROK Army Park Jong-jin were also present to congratulate the general.
Jeong presented Paik with a ceremonial military baton inlaid with mother-of-pearl as a birthday gift. Crouching before Paik, who was in a wheelchair, Gen. Abrams handed him a booklet of congratulatory messages and photographs from all current and former commanders of the USFK.
“You are like the foundation of the U.S-Korea alliance,” Abrams told Paik.
The two men share a unique connection that goes back to the Korean War. Abram’s father was Creighton Williams Abrams, a U.S. Army general who fought in Korea alongside Paik. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but I had the chance to talk to General Paik many years ago and got him to sign a copy of his book,From Pusan to Panmunjon (Memories of War). He was fascinating to talk to because his great memory of events that occurred and people he met during the Korean War. If you haven’t read his book I highly recommend reading it because of the ROK perspective it provides in regards to events during the Korean War.
Gen. Robert Abrams (R), the new commander of U.S. Forces Korea, shakes hands with retired Gen. Paik Sun-yup, a Korean War hero, during a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Seoul on Nov. 9, 2018, to open an exhibition celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Seoul-Washington alliance. (Yonhap)
