50th anniversary of the Korean War, published in The Korea Times June 26, 2000. Korea Times Archive
Seoul was already sweltering by midmorning on June 25, 2000. Heat rose in wavering sheets above the broad plaza outside the War Memorial of Korea as buses pulled up one after another, unloading elderly veterans of the Korean War (1950-53) alongside family members and foreign dignitaries arriving for the ceremony. Inside the memorial grounds, ushers guided guests toward rows of reserved seats while security personnel moved briskly through the growing crowd.
Everywhere there were flags, cameras, police, military officers and the low murmur of Korean, English and a dozen other languages blending together in the heavy summer air.
I was not supposed to be there.
Gen. Paik Sun-yup, second from left, in 1953, published in The Korea Times June 8, 2000. Korea Times Archive
