EXCLUSIVE: Initially, Korean War Memorial was planned near Taj Mahal, Agra. Now in Delhi

New Delhi. The Korean War Memorial which is planned to be set up in New Delhi by the end of next year was initially conceptualized at the premises of the 60 Para Field Ambulance Hospital, Agra – at a walking distance from Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonder monuments of the world.

In November 1950, paramedics including combat surgeons, anesthesiologists, and dentists of the 60 Para Field Ambulance Hospital, Agra were rushed to South Korea to participate in the South-North Korea War 1950-53. They had skydived into combat during the war and many of them were martyred alongside the fighting infantry.

However, the decision was later changed to build the Korean War Memorial in India’s capital city New Delhi in a park site near a diplomatic enclave on Kautilya Marg at a walking distance from Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML).

“As the Korean War broke out, India opted not to send combat forces but medical service unit – the 60 Para Field Ambulance Hospital, Agra. A total of 22 countries including India had sent their troops in support of South Korea during the Korean War. However, all participating countries except for India have built Korean War Memorial to remember the soldiers who took part in this war,” Col. Lee In, Defense Attache, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in India, told Asian Community News (ACN) Network in an exclusive interview in New Delhi recently.

Col. Lee said he had visited 60 Para Field Ambulance Hospital, Agra which very close to Taj Mahal, and it from there he struck the idea of setting up the Korean War Memorial there.

“The idea of building Memorial in Agra was that all the Koreans who come to visit India also go to Agra to see Taj Mahal, and they would have also visited the Korean War Memorial too. The 60 Para Field Ambulance Hospital is at a walking distance from the Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, the majority of young Koreans don’t know about the Korean war, they could have benefitted with this,” said Col. Lee.

Col. Lee said Korea would never forget the contribution and support of India during the Korean War when barely three years after its Independence, India sent its troops to South Korea.

The Indian soldiers had jumped into combat alongside the fighting infantry led by a veteran, Lieut-Col A G Rangaraj, India’s first paratrooper. In March 1951, in the second biggest airborne operation in the Korean War, Operation Tomahawk also witnessed Indian soldiers’ participation behind the lines with US troops.

“India also had rushed 3500 custodian forces to assist South Korea in the post-war settlement for the prisoners of war while other countries sent their combat forces. India played a neutral country and contributed in a peaceful manner,” Col. Lee added.

In total, 1,957,616 soldiers from 22 countries with the US sending the maximum 1,789,000 soldiers had participated in the Korean War in support of South Korea.

According to Col. Lee, the Delhi government has agreed to provide the land while the Indian government would bear the cost of constructing the monument which will probably carry the names of all the soldiers who participated in the Korean War.

The Korean War Veterans Association, India is working on the design of the memorial.

In September last year, a 22-member delegation from Korean National Defence University, Republic of Korea had visited 60th Para Field Hospital. The delegation paid tribute to Lt Col Rangaraj, the then Commanding Officer and laid a wreath in the remembrance of martyrs. The delegation headed by Moon Jang Nyeol, Professor of Korean National Defence University also visited places of historical significance in and around Agra including the Taj Mahal.