PHOTOS: June, month of remembering patriots, veterans

SEOUL, June 11 (AJU PRESS) - In June, the state-designated Month of Patriots and Veterans, many Koreans visit the National Cemetery in Seoul to honor national heroes who fought against Japan’s colonial rule, defended the nation during the Korean War and dedicated themselves to the nation’s foundation and development.

The cemetery, located in the district of Dongjak, was first established as a military cemetery in July 1955. In July 2005, it was elevated to a national cemetery where firefighters and those who sacrificed their lives to save others can also be laid to rest. Former heads of state, including Syngman Rhee, Park Chung-hee, Kim Dae-jung, and Kim Young-sam, are buried at the cemetery.

Front view of the Hyeonchungmun Gate at the Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul, on June 10, 2024. The Memorial Tower is seen in the background. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok

This photo shows the Memorial Tower at the Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul on June 10, 2024. Beneath the tower, memorial tablets are enshrined, bearing the names of fallen patriots whose remains have yet to be found. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok

This photo shows the most recently created tomb of the unknown soldier, dedicated especially to commemorating the Student Volunteer Army, at the Seoul National Cemetery on June 10, 2024. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok

Korean national flags and flowers are placed at graves at the Seoul National Cemetery on June 10, 2024. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok

This photo shows the military personnel burial area at the Seoul National Cemetery on June 10, 2024. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok

This photo, taken on June 10, 2024, shows a sign at the Seoul National Cemetery in eastern Seoul encouraging descendants of those killed during the Korean War to provide DNA samples to the Defense Ministry’s Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification to aid in identifying the remains of fallen soldiers. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok

Park Jong-hyeok qkrwhdgur2164@ajupress.com