Melbourne Korean War Memorial will be set up in Quarry Park next year to honor the service and sacrifices of 17,000 Australian soldiers who participated in the Korean war, 1950-53, in defense of freedom and democracy on the Korean Peninsula.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Memorial was held in Quarry Park in the City of Maribyrnong, Melbourne on 27 November.
On groundbreaking ceremony, more than 100 people including Korean war veterans and committee members attended.
This project is steered by the Melbourne Korean War Memorial Committee which was launched in January 2016 with Korean Consul General Jo Hongju as its patron.
The Korean War Memorial in Melbourne will be Australia's fourth such memorial following ones in Canberra(2000), Sydney(2009) and Gold Coast(2011).
“A Melbourne Korean War Memorial will further strengthen the long-standing and deep friendship between the Republic of Korea and Australia” Melbourne Korean War Memorial Committee says.
“It’s great to see a place, a memorial where people come, reflect and remember their sacrifice by the Korean (war) veterans who are actually defending Korea and defend Australia” Cesar Melhem MP, member of the legislative council Victoria Parliament say.
Cesar Melhem MP, member of the legislative council Victoria Parliament Source: SBS Korean
Everyone joins in together with one mind
Korea government, Victorian Government, overseas Korean in Australia joined together to set up this memorial and around $600,000 was raised, including $300,000 from South Korea Government, $100,000 from the Victorian Government, $200,000 from Korean community, veterans and overseas Korean in Australia.
Not only that, Linda Kristlanson from the Swinburne University of Technology is also paying keen attention to the project. In addition to providing part of the design team's labor, the university also offered $100,000 dollars.
Consul general of the Korean Consulate General in Melbourne says it needs more $50,000 to fund the insurance and maintenance cost.
Jong-gon Choi, president of Melbourne Korean war memorial committee who participated in the groundbreaking ceremony expressed the deepest gratitude to whole overseas Korean in Australia for their efforts.
The design and construction of this memorial will be completed by the Swinburne University of Technology.
Jong-gon Choi, president of Melbourne Korean war memorial committee Source: SBS Korean
Professor Blair Kuys, who is leading the design team of this memorial, said he met his Korean wife at Hongik University in South Korea. Thanks to the ties with Korea, he participated in this project with special interest. His wife, Jo Kuys who is currently teaching design at the Swinburne University of Technology was participating together in this design project.
Symbol of friendship between Australia and Korean
The memorial will be shaped like a bridge for the symbol of friendship between Australia and Korea and two countries' national flowers will be inscribed. Notably, stones from Gapyeong, east side of Seoul will be used to memory Australian soldiers in the Korean war.
Gapyeong is a place where Australian soldiers fought fiercely during the Korean War.
"The new memorial in Melbourne is expected to serve as a bridge between South Korea and Australia by honoring Australian war veterans and teaching the young generation about history," says Hong-ju Jo, consul general of the Korean Consulate General in Melbourne.
Hong-ju Jo asked for more attention until the construction of the memorial will be completed.
Hong-ju Jo, consul general of the Korean Consulate General in Melbourne Source: SBS Korean
