Press Release 

Seúl, República de Corea, 26 de abril de 2021

Establishment of the Association of Mexican Veterans of the Korean War (1950-1953)

  • A ceremony was held in Mexico City to establish the first Association of Mexican Veterans of the Korean War (1950-1953).
  • This Association seeks to recognize the more than 100,000 Mexican soldiers and their families who fought in this conflict under the command of the US Army.
  • The First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Choi Jong Kun, and the Secretary of National Defense of Mexico, General Luis Cresencio Sandoval González, were witnesses of honor of the event. 

Mexico City.- On the afternoon of April 24th, during the official visit to Mexico of the First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Choi Jong Kun, a ceremony took place to establish the Association of Mexican Veterans of the Korean War (1950-1953) at the Residence of the Korean Ambassador in Mexico, with the participation of four Mexican veterans of the Korean War and their relatives: Roberto Sierra, José Villarreal, Alberto Fernández, and Jesús Cantú.

The guests of honor to the ceremony were the Secretary of National Defense of Mexico, General Luis Cresencio Sandoval González, and the Korean First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Choi Jong Kun.

In a congratulatory video from Seoul, the Ambassador of Mexico to Korea, Bruno Figueroa, highlighted that this ceremony marks two important historical events: first, the recognition of the sacrifice of Mexican origin soldiers who fought for the freedom of Korea. He pointed out that, although Mexico did not participate in this war, it was a conflict in which thousands of Mexicans fought and died. Second, he mentioned that, with the establishment of the first Association of Mexican Veterans of the Korean War, veterans and their families will finally have a voice and representation.

Thanks to the historical research that the Embassies of Mexico in Korea and of Korea in Mexico have been conducting since December 2019 to recognize the participation of Mexicans and Mexican Americans, it is known that more than 100,000 of these men fought in this conflict as part of the US Army. Next year, within the framework of the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Mexico and Korea, an exhibition is expected to be organized in Seoul to make visible to the Korean population the sacrifices of Mexican soldiers during the Korean War.

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