Ministers Mark Korean War Anniversary

The Minister of Veterans’ Affairs, Judith Collins, today joined The Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs of Korea, Hon Kim Yang, in commemorating the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War.

The Ministers laid wreaths at the Auckland War Memorial and attended a reception to mark the anniversary and to honour those who served in the conflict.

New Zealand was one of the first countries to respond to a United Nations request to assist South Korea after the invasion by North Korea in 1950. The Government initially provided two frigates, followed by a volunteer force of 1,000 men known as Kayforce.

Over the course of the war more than 4,700 New Zealanders served with Kayforce. Another 1,350 New Zealanders were deployed to Korea with the Royal New Zealand Navy.

“The legacy of New Zealand’s involvement in the Korean War has been 60 years of friendship between New Zealand and the Republic of Korea,” Ms Collins said.

“Today we honour the memory of those New Zealanders and South Koreans who died during the war, we pay tribute to those who served and we celebrate the role they played in forging a bond between our two countries that continues to grow stronger.”

Kayforce veterans enjoy a close relationship with their South Korean counterparts, while the New Zealand Korean Veterans’ Association maintains strong links with Korean communities in both New Zealand and South Korea.

Today’s ceremony was attended by The Ambassador for the Republic of Korea to New Zealand, Mr Kwang-il Noh, diplomatic guests, Ministers and MPs, local government leaders, representatives of the New Zealand Korean War Veterans’ Association, the Returned Services Association, and Korean Community in New Zealand.

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