Dozens of family members of American soldiers who either died or went missing while serving in the 1950-53 Korean War will come to South Korea this week to attend a memorial service program offered by the Seoul government, Seoul's ministry of veterans affairs said Sunday.
The families of eight fallen and 16 still unaccounted-for soldiers will arrive in Seoul on Monday for a six-day trip hosted by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the ministry said.
They plan to visit various places, including the national cemetery and key heritage sites, such as ancient royal palaces, as part of their tour, it added.
On Wednesday, they will attend a memorial service for American soldiers in Gyeonggi Province just outside of the capital. Stephanie Sims, granddaughter of missing Sergeant First Class John McCall will recite a letter she wrote to him.
Also on the trip will be a relative of Army Major Hugh Boyd Casey, who died during the war, the ministry said. One of the U.S. military camps in South Korea is named after him.
The U.S. and 15 other countries dispatched troops to help the South fight against invading North Korea during the war. Five others sent medical teams.
Nearly 1.8 million American troops participated in the conflict, with 33,686 of them killed and 92,134 wounded, official data showed. 3,737 went missing, and 4,439 were taken prisoner. (Yonhap)
