Published: July 27, 2023
On National Korean War Armistice Day we recognize and pay tribute to the Korean War veterans.
The Korean War began June 25, 1950 with the North Korean army's invasion of South Korea. On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed ending the war, now officially recognized as Armistice Day. At 10 a.m. that day, in Panmunjom, 18 official copies of the tri-language Korean Armistice Agreement were signed. The signing of the agreement marked the end of the longest negotiated armistice in history with 158 meetings spread over two years and 17 days.
"President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower visits with men of the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, during a tour on December 4, 1952, Korea. The parka Eisenhower is wearing is now on display at the Gettysburg NMP Museum and Visitor Center." Source: National Park Service, Courtesy of the Eisenhower Presidential Library
"Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."
By the Numbers
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About 1,789,000 U.S military personnel served in the Korean War theater.
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More than 33,000 U.S. service members were killed in battle.
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About 7,600 American military personnel remain unaccounted for.
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133 U.S. service members have received the Medal of Honor for heroic actions in the Korean War, 95 posthumously.
Related Resources
123 Stat. 3675 - National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2009
123 Stat. 1962 - Korean War Veterans Recognition Act
100 Stat. 3226 - Korean War Memorial Act
130 Stat. 947 - Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act
1992 Public Papers 934 - Remarks at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Korean War Veterans Memorial
1995 Public Papers 1160 - Remarks at the Dedication Ceremony for the Korean War Veterans Memorial
Over the Beach: US Army Amphibious Operations in the Korean War
Additional Resources
- Read the Joint Statement from the Presidents of the United States of America and the Republic of Korea on the Identification of Medal of Honor Recipient from Korean War, April 26, 2023, and read more of this story on the Department of the Army's website.
- National Archives: Korean War Records
- Browse the U.S. Government Publishing Office online bookstore’s collection of Korean War publications.
- Check out the Library of Congress American Folklife Center’s Veterans History Project to view collections of firsthand interviews and narratives of U.S. military veterans from World War I through the present.
- The United States Enters the Korean Conflict – Educator Resources (National Archives)
- Plan your trip to the National Park Service's Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. The memorial was dedicated in
1995, and its Wall of Remembrance and 19 stainless steel statues commemorate the sacrifices
of the millions of Americans and allied partners who fought during the Korean War.
United Nations Curb/Korean War Memorial – Alphabetical listing of the countries that contributed troops to the United Nations’ efforts during the Korean War, Source: National Park Service