On June 28, 2025, President Kim Yusook of AKU Washington and Advisor Esther Kim were invited as speakers at the 75th Anniversary of the Korean War commemorative ceremony held at the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, VA. The Chairman of the MacArthur Foundation and the Director of the MacArthur Memorial warmly welcomed them and provided a guided tour of the museum. The Director remarked that General MacArthur would have wished for “a free and peaceful unified Korea more than anyone else.”
Community leaders from the Tidewater Korean community and the Peninsula area hosted a dinner and meeting to honor the occasion. The Korea Times reported on the ceremony and the speeches, highlighting the enduring importance of remembrance and unity.
General MacArthur is remembered as the hero of the Incheon Landing Operation that took place on September 15, 1950. Without his extraordinary strategy and leadership, the prosperous Republic of Korea we know today might not exist. Advisor Esther Kim’s lecture was particularly moving, as she shared heartfelt memories from her childhood during the Korean War. These personal stories gave the audience a vivid glimpse into the hardships endured by Korean families during that period.
The 75th Anniversary ceremony at the MacArthur Memorial not only honored those who fought in the Korean War but also highlighted the enduring bonds between Korea and the United States. Through heartfelt speeches, shared memories, and reflections on pivotal moments like the Incheon Landing, the event reminded attendees of the sacrifices that secured freedom and peace. It served as both a commemoration of history and a call to continue striving for a unified and peaceful Korea for future generations.
About the Battle of Inchon (Incheon Landing)
The Battle of Inchon , also called Inchon landing, was an amphibious
invasion and a battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic
reversal in favor of the United Nations Command (UN). The operation involved some
75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels and led to the recapture of the South
Korean capital of Seoul two weeks later. [4] The code name for the
Inchon operation was Operation Chromite.
The battle began on 15 September 1950 and ended on 19 September. Through a
surprise amphibious assault far from the Pusan Perimeter that UN and Republic of
Korea Army (ROK) forces were desperately defending, the largely undefended city
of Incheon was secured after being bombed by UN forces. The battle ended a string of
victories by the North Korean Korean People's Army (KPA). The subsequent UN
recapture of Seoul partially severed the KPA's supply lines in South Korea.
The UN and ROK forces were commanded by General of the Army Douglas
MacArthur of the United States Army. MacArthur was the driving force behind the
operation, overcoming the strong misgivings of more cautious generals to a risky
assault over extremely unfavorable terrain. The battle was followed by a rapid collapse
of the KPA; within a month of the Incheon landing, the Americans had taken 135,000
KPA troops prisoner. [5]