And Today, Michael Cried
- Deborah Kade
- Apr 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 2
This is our last day in Korea. It has been quite a memorable time for us! Michael and I were happy to be able to spend some time with An, who is our Korean teacher. Our tour guides Jun, in Seoul, and Young, in Busan, were very knowledgeable and helpful in navigating the cities and sites. The drivers were so helpful in getting me in and out of the van.
The UN Memorial Cemetery is a historic and meaningful site dedicated to United Nations soldiers who lost their lives during the Korean War. It is the only UN cemetery in the world, offering a calm and respectful place for remembrance.
"This is a memorial park established to glorify the help & sacrifice by UN Forces soldiers who fought in the Korean War. The UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK), is located at Daeyoen-4-dong, Nam-gu, Busan. Here lies the heroic war dead from various countries, who dedicated their lives for the cause of world peace & freedom."
"This memorial cemetery, with 14.7ha area, was first installed in January 1951, when the UN Command had begun to reinter the bodies from 6 local cemeteries in Kaesong, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu, Miryang, and Masan. Then in April 1951, it was enshrined."
"On August 8th, the South Korea government decided to donate the cemetery site to the UN permanently at no cost, for UN Forces soldiers’ help & sacrifice. Thus, in December 1955, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to establish a memorial cemetery in Korea."
"Also, The National Assembly of South Korea designated UNMCK as a shrine to the government. To take these two resolutions to action, the UN General Assembly made an official agreement between the UN & South Korea, and which continues to today."
"From 1951 to 1954, approximately 11,000 bodies of the UN Forces war dead were buried at this cemetery. Some of the bodies returned home (all Belgians, Colombians, Ethiopians, Greeks, Filipinos & Thais; most of the Americans, some of French & Norwegians). Now here lies 2,300 bodies of soldiers: 281 Australians, 378 Canadians, 44 French, 117 Hollanders, 34 New Zealanders, 1 Norwegian, 36 Koreans, 11 South Africans, 462 Turks, 885 British, 36 Americans, 4 unknown soldiers & 4 noncombatants. The names of the deceased are engraved on a tombstone.
There were 22 countries that participated. There are 11 steps on each side, 11 trees on each side, and 11 fountains on each side.
Michael's relative, Alphonse R. Schmitt from Wisconsin, was killed during the Korean War. Brought a tear to Michael's eye when he saw is relative's name on the wall.
The American soldiers whom died during the Korean War are listed by state.
A group of veterans gathered to have their picture taken
Serene surroundings. It is so peaceful here.
Juniper trees and cherry blossoms
Cape myrtle What a beautiful shape
It must be a gorgeous sight when the roses planted by the graves and throughout the area are in full bloom.
There are two holes. One is for a chrysanthemum and the other is for their country's flag. This is done on the anniversary of their death.
Koi fish
Hwangnyeongsan Observatory Cherry Blossom Road is one of Busan’s most scenic spring destinations, where you can enjoy stunning cherry blossoms along the road while taking in panoramic views of the city.
Cheongsan 1954 is a traditional Korean restaurant where you can enjoy a variety of classic dishes. This is a fantastic restaurant. It was crowded so we had to wait a few minutes to be seated. It is well worth the wait.
Kale juice with what I think was pineapple juice. Michael, who doesn't like kale, actually had two cups.
Popular items include:
Kimchi cold noodles (kimchi-malri guksu) We had this as a starter
Bean sprouts Soft tofu Acorn jelly
Spicy stir-fried octopus This was quite an amazing dish. The spicy taste was there bit it was subtle
You can make your own bibimbap by mixing rice with bean sprouts, seaweed flakes, and sesame oil.
Separately, you can enjoy wrapping (ssam) the food in leafy greens with perilla leaves and pickled radish (ssammu) for an authentic Korean dining experience.
You wrap it and shove it in your mouth. You can't bite it in half. You just shove it in and chew.
A fluffy steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) is also served as a warm and comforting side dish.
Later in the afternoon, we said goodbye to Young and the driver and met up with An. We went shopping for my great nephews and then had dinner.
Loved talking with An while enjoying a cup of tea.
Michael had ginger tea
An and I had green tea.
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