DILI, 08 august 2022 (TATOLI) – The President of the Republic, Jose Ramos Horta awarded the medal of merits to the five South Korean soldiers who were killed in an incident, in Oe-Cusse, 19 years ago.
Min Byeong-jo, Bak Jin-Gyu, Baek Jong-hoon, Choe Heui, and Kim Jeong-Joong were among the five Korean peacekeepers who were killed in Oe-Oussi on march 6, 2003, when they were swept away by a swift-moving river.
The incident occurred when a vehicle with two South Korean soldiers on board got stuck crossing the river. Three other soldiers from another vehicle attempted to help them, but the strong current washed away all five.
On monday (08/08), the family members, including Jang Hong Yeo, the mother of Kim Jeong-Joong, who still messing, received the medal of merits awarded by the President of the Republic to recognize and honor the dedication and significant contribution of the five soldiers in restoring the national peace and stability in Timor-Leste from 1999 to 2003.
The representative of the families of the soldiers, Jung Hyein thanked the President of the Republic and Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak for hosting the award ceremony.
“Even though we are feeling sad to visit Timor-Leste, the place where our loved ones took their last breath, we feel their contribution as the foundation of Timor-Leste’s independence and its development,” Hyein said during the award ceremony at the Presidential Palace, on monday.
The South Korean Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Kim Jeongho thanked the President of the Republic for awarding the five soldiers with the Medal of Merits.
“This year, we received the family members of the five soldiers to visit the site where their sons, husbands, and fathers lost their lives, 19 years ago. Inviting the family members to Timor-Leste was concerning because it might bring back sad memories. But, after visiting Timor-Leste, they feel joy because Timorese people still remember the memories of the five soldiers. They feel loved and proud with the contribution of their sons to Timor-Leste’s independence and its development,” he said.
The President of the Republic said awarding the medal of merits to the five soldiers was to honor and pay tribute to the soldiers for their immense contribution to the peace and stability of the country.
“During the 24 years of resistance, hundreds of thousands of Timorese people lost their lives. So, we know exactly the traumatic grief experienced by the family members of the five soldiers,” said Horta.
The families of the five soldiers arrived in Timor-Leste last week (wednesday, 03/08) and left directly for Oe-Cusse to pay respect and tribute to the memorial monument of the five soldiers.
Last week, the South Korean Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Kim Jeongho, accompanied by Battalion Commander, Kim Yeong Deok, and the President of Authority of RAEOA, Arsenio Paixão Bano, and the grieving family members inaugurated the Noel-Ekat Memorial Monument in Bobometo village, in RAEOA.
At the inauguration of the Noel-Ekat Memorial Monument, Jeongho said that: “On this Noel-Ekat riverside hill, 19 years ago, the five Korean soldiers worked tirelessly to contribute to the independence of the country. We may see the changes in the hills, especially over the last 19 years, but the memory of these soldiers will stay forever in the hearts of the Timorese people,” said Jeongho during the inauguration of the Noel-Ekat Memorial Monument in RAEOA.
Ambassador Kim considered the monument an important historical site for Timor-Leste as it was built to commemorate and remember the contribution and the death of five South Korean Soldiers who lost their lives in Bobometo village, Oe-Cusse.
Related News:https://en.tatoli.tl/2022/08/06/south-korea-noel-ekat-memorial-monument-important-to-tl/11/
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
