Indian War Memorial Inaugurated in South Korea to Honor Korean War Veterans

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and South Korean Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul jointly inaugurated the Indian War Memorial at Imjingak Park in Seoul to honor Indian troops’ humanitarian services

Seoul | May 22, 2026: Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs of the Republic of Korea (RoK), Kwon Oh-eul, jointly inaugurated the Indian War Memorial at Imjingak Park in Seoul on Thursday. Constructed to mark the 75th anniversary of the Korean War, the monument honors the valor and humanitarian service of the Indian Army’s 60 Para Field Ambulance and the Custodian Force of India (CFI) during the conflict. The two leaders laid a wreath at the site to pay homage to the historic deployment.

During the ceremony, Rajnath Singh emphasized that India’s legacy of peace and medical assistance forms a strong foundation for the India-RoK Special Strategic Partnership. To further solidify these ties, the ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on honoring Korean War veterans and enhancing bilateral cultural exchanges. A commemorative memoir detailing the sacrifices of the soldiers was also formally released.

The 60 Para Field Ambulance, led by Lt Col (Dr) AG Rangaraj, earned the moniker “Maroon Angels” from locals for treating thousands of wounded soldiers and civilians under heavy crossfire. Additionally, India played a critical role post-armistice through the CFI under the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC), chaired by Lt Gen KS Thimayya, which managed the humane repatriation of prisoners of war in 1953.

Significantly, the memorial stands at the exact location where the CFI established “Hind Nagar” in September 1954, which temporarily housed nearly 22,000 prisoners of war before their peaceful return. Funded by the Indian Ministry of Defence, the inauguration ceremony was attended by senior military officials, diplomats, veterans, and Kalpana Prasad, the niece of Lt Col Rangaraj. The event concluded Rajnath Singh’s official four-day bilateral visit to Vietnam and South Korea.

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