Seoul will find 121,879 fallen soldiers until the end

On Friday, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced the launch of a campaign titled '121879 Korean Flags to Find Until the End' to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the Korean War. This campaign coincides with the official elevation of the ministry from its current sub-ministry level to full-fledged ministry status, as well as the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice Agreement.

The ministry will produce and distribute numbered Korean flag badges, ranging from 1 to 121,879, symbolizing the 121,879 Korean War veterans who remain separated from their families as of the end of last year. These badges will be provided to those who wish to participate in the campaign. The design of the badge is inspired by the shape of the Korean flag that covered the urns of fallen soldiers during the Korean War.

The purpose of the campaign, as stated by the ministry, is to embody the ideology of remembrance and taking responsibility for all the heroes who have served the country, as well as to highlight the true meaning of patriotism that transcends generations in everyday life. Various souvenirs used in the campaign have been created in the form of letters addressed to the Korean people, written by the numerous fallen soldiers who remain buried in fields and mountains.

The campaign was initially launched in May 2020 by the Public Communication Lab affiliated with Kwangwoon University. Students from Kwangwoon University voluntarily distributed flag badges, produced by the lab, to citizens in the Gwanghwamun area as a gesture of respect for the sacrifices made by Korean War veterans. Since then, the campaign has received sponsorship from Nonghyup Bank and GS Retail. It has resumed this year to coincide with the official elevation of the MPVA from its current sub-ministry level to full-fledged ministry status.

As part of the campaign, professional baseball players will wear flag patches on their caps during a three-game midweek series held on Memorial Day, from Tuesday to Thursday next week. Additionally, the Korean Football League will join the campaign by incorporating the flag design into the captain's armbands of each team participating in games throughout the month.


Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com