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Commonwealth veterans of Korean War to visit Korea this week

Published: 22 Apr. 2026, 17:00

A veteran visits Korea to mark the 73rd anniversary of the battle in Gapyeong during the Korean War (1950-53) and pays tribute to fallen comrades at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on April 23, 2024. [MINISTRY OF PATRIOTS AND VETERANS AFFAIRS]

Veterans and bereaved families from four Commonwealth countries will visit Korea this week to mark the 75th anniversary of a key battle during the 1950-53 Korean War, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said Wednesday.

Their visit comes on the occasion of the anniversary of a battle in the northern county of Gapyeong in April 1951, in which some 2,000 troops of the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade engaged in three days of fierce combat against Chinese forces at the height of the three-year war.

As part of their itinerary, the veterans and bereaved families from Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will attend ceremonies marking the battle as well as visit the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom, the ministry said.

To mark the anniversary and honor Commonwealth troops who fought in the Korean War, the Army chiefs from the four countries will also visit Korea this week.

Also among those visiting the country will be a 97-year-old Australian veteran who served in the Korean War as a petty officer in the Royal Australian Navy, according to the ministry.

Yonhap