UNMCK 재한유엔기념공원

1. 자기소개 부탁드립니다.  

Hello, my name is Stephanie Hwang. I am currently serving as the Assistant Director of Public Relations in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea.

 

2. 유엔공원의 역사와 규모에 대해서 말씀해주세요.

The UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea, which we often refer to as the UNMCK, is the resting place of the UN soldiers who sacrificed during the Korean War. And it is the one and only UN designated cemetery in the world.

It was first established in January of 1951 by the UN Forces and in 1955, the Korean Parliament donated 133,701 square meter of land for permanent use as a cemetery to the UN and the UN General Assembly accepted by adopting Resolution 977, effective December 1955. And then, the UNCURK--the United Nations Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea--was in charge until February 1974. After that, the management of the cemetery has been the responsibility of the Commission and the Office of the UNMCK.

 

3. 한국전쟁 당시 UN군은 세계 몇 개 나라에서 왔고 지금 여기 유엔공원에 잠들어 계신 분은 얼마나 되시는지 궁금합니다.

A total of 16 countries provided the combat forces and 6 countries provided medical aid for us. And the UN Forces suffered 40,896 casualties.

Currently, the UN Memorial Cemetery of Korea has 2,309 soldiers from 11 nations resting in peace.

 

4. 유엔공원에 참배하러 세계에서 많은 분들이 이곳을 찾을 것 같습니다. 혹시 공원 안에 어떤 시설이 있는지 그리고 그 시설들이 무엇을 의미하는지 설명해주실 수 있나요?

I would say this cemetery itself is a symbol of sacrifice and service as well as peace, and nothing here is put in its place without a meaning. The symbolic area has 22 flags and a UN flag flying everyday to honor the interred here while reminding us of the strong alliance of these countries. There are several memorials representing each country, and the Wall of Remembrance to really remember the names of the soldiers who died in the war. There is also a waterway that was named after the youngest soldier who is interred at the UNMCK. His name is J.P. Daunt, a 17-year-old Australian. 

One of my favorite spot here is the Unknown Soldier's Pathway. It holds an astounding beauty and leaves me in awe everytime. The pathway reflects the significance of number 11 as it is the number of countries whose veterans are currently interred at the UNMCK--so, 11 steps, 11 cascades of water, 11 water fountains, 11 pine tress along each side of the pathway. And these all add up to the total of 22, which is the number of countries that provided either combat or medical aid. 

And of course, there are so much more to visit in the peaceful and quiet grounds of the UNMCK, and we welcome our visitors with open arms, so please feel free to come visit.

 

5. 현재 유엔공원은 시민들이 휴식처로 찾는 곳이기도 합니다만 대한민국을 지키기 위해 싸우다 유명을 달리한 수많은 장병들이 잠들어 있는 곳입니다. 이 곳을 찾는 시민들에게 한마디 해주신다면요? 

We are very grateful to receive guests and visitors under difficult circumstances of COVID-19. And although our cemetery is called 유엔기념공원 UN Memorial Park in Korean, most visitors that come to the cemetery already understand that the UNMCK is in fact a cemetery. However, I find it safe to carefully remind the listeners that the UNMCK is a sacred ground where the Korean War veterans of UN Forces are resting in peace. So please make sure you respect the rules of our grounds and also have the reverence for the interred here because the price of freedom we have today is at least equivalent, if not more, to what may have been someone's tomorrow. 

In that sense, I'd like to extend my thanks to the staff of Busan e-FM for their attention to our cemetery and highlight the sacrifices and services made during the Korean War. It's really sad, but some people do call the Korean War the Forgotten War. And I think the UNMCK serves as a symbol of past, present, and future because it constantly emphasizes the significance of peace and teaches us that there should be no more war on this peninsula. 

As we recognize the month of June to appreciate the services of those who protected our nation, I hope this interview inspires you to know more about Korean history, and the war--and we encourage you to come visit us here in the UNMCK as we are open everyday from 9 to 6 and reflect on the sacrifices and service of the UN Forces who fell during the Korean War.

관련 링크주소를 클릭하시면 관련 부산영어방송 인터뷰를 청취하실 수 있습니다.

유엔기념공원 관련 내용은 14:00 부터 32:14까지의 내용입니다.