Busan will host South Korea's annual International Memorial Day for UN Korean War Veterans on Nov. 11, honoring those who died in the 1950-53 conflict, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said Tuesday.
The ceremony is scheduled at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul. About 1,000 people are expected, including veterans and relatives from six participating nations, Seoul-based diplomats, UN Command personnel and members of the public, the ministry said.
At 11 a.m. Wednesday in Busan (2 a.m. UTC), a citywide siren will begin a one-minute silence. A 21-gun salute is planned at the same time, followed by wreath-laying.
The observance began in 2007 after Canadian veteran Vincent Courtenay proposed a shared silence directed toward the Busan cemetery, the ministry said. South Korea designated Nov. 11 as the official memorial day after a law honoring UN Korean War veterans passed in March 2020.
