LA Korean Consulate Accused of Neglecting Korean War Veterans

A Korean American veterans group in Southern California sent a letter to the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles (Consul General Youngwan Kim) on June 27 accusing it of neglecting Korean veterans at the 75th Korean War anniversary event held on June 25.

The Army Comrades Association, a group established in 1978 by Korean War veterans in the LA area, raised concerns in its letter titled “Reflections and Improvement Requests for the June 25 Korean War Event.” The letter detailed what the group described as poor preparations by the consulate and disrespect towards Korean veterans.

The letter outlined ten specific improvement requests, including:

• No prior survey or check on the number of Korean veterans attending
• No direct mention of Korean veterans throughout the event
• Unlike US veterans, Korean veterans received no gifts from the consulate
• The US military chaplain scheduled for opening and closing prayers was not confirmed, leading to an on-site replacement
• Repetitive speeches by local Veterans Association leaders
• Sound system malfunctioned during the entire event
• Event brochures reused images and designs from the previous year

Chairman Mankyu Choi of the Army Comrades Association said, “The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles did not send any invitations to Korean veterans and did not even know how many would attend by the day of the event. The sound system did not work throughout. I have never seen such a poorly prepared event from an institution representing the Korean government.”

Prior to the event, when elderly veterans who could no longer drive requested transportation support, the consulate rejected the request, resulting in only eight veterans attending, sparking further criticism.

On the day of the event, Korean veterans’ seats were placed in the back, marked only with “Korean War Veteran” papers instead of their names, raising additional concerns over respect.

Veterans also pointed out inappropriate terminology used by consulate officials during the event. Chairman Choi noted that when introducing Juan Mora of the US Army 40th Division, the consulate used the term “Chief of General Staff.” He said, “This title is used by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and North Korean military, not by South Korean or US forces. Using such terms at a Korean War event hosted by the Korean government could be an insult to allied diplomats and veterans.”

In the letter, the Army Comrades Association added, “We hope these criticisms are accepted as sincere voices for improvement. We ask that diplomats perform their duties with a sense of mission and responsibility.”

The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles has not issued an official response as of June 29, despite multiple contact attempts by The Korea Daily to reach the veterans affairs officer for comment.

BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]