2023-04-24 02:07:00
ⓒ JoongAng Ilbo / JoongAng Ilbo Japanese version2023.04.24 11:07
The importance of “rewards” during South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol’s visit to the United States is also reflected in the “missing person table” set up at the dining room. The sculpture was jointly planned by South Korea and the United States, and is intended to remember those who defended liberal democracy but have not yet returned. President Yoon also plans to confer the Supreme Military Merit Medal to the U.S. military veterans at the luncheon.
South Korea’s presidential office announced on the 23rd that President Yoon Seok-yeol will have a thank-you lunch with about 300 key figures from South Korea and the United States during his visit to the United States. In particular, three U.S. veterans, Ralph Puckett, Reserve Navy Colonel Elmer Royce Williams, and the late Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez, will be awarded the Tai Chi Medal. This is the first time that a South Korean president has been awarded the Order of Military Merit in a foreign country.
Colonel Ralph Puckett entered the war on November 25, 1950 as a company commander of the U.S. 8th Army’s Guerrilla Company, and is famous for saving the lives of his soldiers by defending Highland 205 in North Pyongan Province six times. In November 1952, Col. Elmer Royce Williams fought seven enemy MiG-15s and shot down four of them. Lieutenant Valdomero Lopez saved his men during the Incheon Landing Operation on September 15, 1950 by blocking a hand grenade with his body.
The highlight of the luncheon is the “Missing man table” prepared by the President’s Office and the Pentagon’s Prisoners of War and Missing Persons Investigation Agency (DPAA). The table is a permanent fixture in the US military dining room and is set up at major memorial events, primarily to honor the missing Vietnam War veterans. It is unusual for the event to be held at a luncheon with foreign leaders.
This table is vacant and has a variety of symbols. A circular table represents the enduring interest in missing persons, with six chairs representing six domains: Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and civilians.
The white tablecloth symbolizes the purity of the country’s demands, while the red rose symbolizes the blood and sacrifices of the war veterans. A slice of lemon and salt on the plate each represent the tragic fate of a missing person and the tears of a family yearning for their return. The candles on the table symbolize the hope that the missing will return home.
The president’s office explained, “Through the lighting of memorial candles for President Yoon and his wife, we convey President Yoon’s strong determination to search for the veterans who have not yet returned to the end, and soothe the pain of the bereaved families.” Reserve Admiral Kim Jin-hyung, who served as a military attaché to the U.S. Navy, said, “You can see the joint determination of the two countries to never forget the Korean and American soldiers who sacrificed themselves to protect liberal democracy during the Korean War.” It is a meaningful symbol for the 70th anniversary of the alliance.”
The presidential office also announced that it had invited a figure who symbolizes the past, present and future of the ROK-US alliance to the luncheon. Among them are Joseph McChristian Jr., the grandson of General Ben Preet, a symbol of the Korea-US alliance, and Baek Nam-hee, the eldest daughter of General Baek Sung-yeop. Eight people will also attend, including Navy Colonel Lee Hee-wan, who won the 2nd Battle of Yeonpyeong, and Marine Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jeong-soo, who was the commander of the 7th Artillery Company during the Yeonpyeong bombardment.
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