The Republic of Korea will be commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War with a virtual conference and honor Filipino veterans who extended a helping hand in its time of need.

Set on December 10, from 8:30 to 11:30 AM PST, the "2020 Philippine Korean War Virtual Conference: Revisiting the Philippines in the Korean War 70th Anniversary" will be remembering the veterans of the war as well as the support provided by the Philippines to its East Asian neighbor. The event will be headed by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, together with the South Korean Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans, and the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines. It will be streamed live on the KCC Facebook page and will be open to the public.

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Revisiting The Past to Guide the Future

The virtual conference will feature discussions from prominent Filipino and South Korean individuals, offering rare insights into the war that divided the Korean peninsula. Undersecretary Ernesto G. Carolina, Administrator of the Philippines Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), will be discussing the Philippines in the context of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War. Maj. Maximo P. Young, President of the PEFTOK Veterans Association, Inc (PVAI) and a member of the 10th Battalion Combat Team, will share his narrative as a Filipino soldier participating in the Korean War.

Dr. Ricardo Trota Jose, a professor from the History Department of the University of the Philippines' Diliman Campus, will be explaining the role of the Philippines in the Korean War. On the other hand, Dr. David O. Lozada III, Ateneo De Manila University's (ADMU) History Department chairperson, will be talking about how the Korean War has helped shaped Philippine history.

Neville Jay Manaois, a history instructor also from ADMU, will serve as the conference moderator. He will also provide insights into teaching about the Korean War in the Philippines. Han Dong-man, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines, will be serving a special lecture in the honor of the 70th year since the Korean War broke out.

The virtual conference will be formally opened by Minister Park Sam-Duck from South Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans with his welcoming remarks. In commemorating the war that fought for and preserved South Korea's freedom and democracy, the event aims to inform and remind the new generation of Filipinos of their forefathers' role in this historic struggle. The virtual conference also aims to celebrate one of the greatest testaments to the enduring friendship between the two democratic nations - transcending time, space, and language barriers.

About the Korean War

After Japan surrendered at the end of World War II, the Korean peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel: the Northern half was supported by the then-Soviet Union while the south was administered by the United States. The Soviet-controlled section later became the socialist state of North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK) while the US section eventually became the capitalist state of South Korea (Republic of Korea).

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History officially notes the start of the Korean War on June 25, 1950, when North Korea began advancing to the south after minor clashes and insurrections along the border. In the same year, the Philippines became the first Asian country to lend support to the South Korean distress call. The Southeast Asian archipelago sent five battalion combat teams, with a total of 7,420 soldiers, as the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK).