The Marine Corps on the 23rd held the "15th anniversary Yeonpyeong Island artillery battle memorial and victory commemoration event" at the Daejeon National Cemetery.
The ceremony, held under the theme "We will never forget the noble sacrifice of the heroes," began with tributes by the bereaved families of the late Sgt. Seo Jeong-u and Pvt. Mun Gwang-uk, Minister Ahn Gyu-baek of the Ministry of National Defense, and Marine Corps Commandant Ju Il-seok, among others. Lee Han, a Marine reservist who served as a sergeant and took part in the battle during the shelling, delivered a remembrance address, and during the choral memorial performance "Song of the Hero," video of the fallen restored with artificial intelligence (AI) was also released.
In his commemorative address, the Minister said, "With North Korea's surprise shelling, the once peaceful Yeonpyeong Island became a battlefield engulfed in the sound of guns and flames," and added, "The late Sgt. Seo Jeong-u and the late Pvt. Mun Gwang-uk are true heroes of the Republic of Korea, and all the people will remember each of their names forever." He continued, "Above all, strong power must underpin true peace."
The commandant also said, "The Marine Corps will not forget the spirit of a soldier's duty and devotion to the nation shown by the war heroes, and will fulfill the mission of the Marine Corps to defend the nation with loyalty for the peace and freedom of the Republic of Korea."
The Marine Corps designated the period from on the 17th through the day as the Yeonpyeong Island artillery battle remembrance period, and soldiers of the 2nd Marine Division Artillery Brigade collected 1,123 blood donation certificates timed to the date of the Yeonpyeong Island artillery battle and donated them to the children's leukemia foundation on the 18th. They also heightened combat resolve through special commander-led mental education by unit, operation of a cyber memorial hall, training for response to situations in northwestern island units, marches, and resolution rallies.
The Yeonpyeong Island artillery battle was a fight on Nov. 23, 2010, at 2:34 p.m., in which Marines of the Yeonpyeong unit repelled North Korea's surprise artillery provocation by immediately responding with K-9 self-propelled howitzers. In the process, two Marines were killed in action and two civilians died. Sgt. Seo Jeong-u went out to the pier for his final leave and died while returning to his unit, and Pvt. Mun Gwang-uk was killed in action while preparing for battle.