Late Thai veteran of Korean War to be buried at memorial cemetery in Busan

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Late Thai veteran of Korean War to be buried at memorial cemetery in Busan

Published: 07 Nov. 2024, 17:02

Rod Asanapan, a late Thai veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War. [YONHAP]

A late Thai veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War will be laid to rest at a memorial cemetery in South Korea this month in line with his family's wishes, the Veterans Ministry said Thursday, marking the first such burial for a Thai veteran.

Rod Asanapan's remains will arrive at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Friday, and will be buried at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan, some 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Monday, according to the ministry.

Asanapan, who died in June 2023, volunteered to serve in the Korean War from November 1952 to October 1953. For his contributions, he received the Victory Medal from the Thai government.

Thailand is among the 22 countries that sent troops or other forms of support to back South Korea during and right after the three-year conflict, which ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.

More than 6,000 Thai troops were deployed during the war, with 136 being killed, according to the U.N. Memorial Cemetery's website. Asanapan will be the first Thai veteran to be interred at the park, where 2,328 veterans are laid to rest.

Yonhap