South Korean officials honor veterans of 'Forgotten War'

DemocratandChronicle.com: South Korean officials honor veterans of 'Forgotten War'
Two high-ranking South Korean officials visited the Korean War memorial in Perinton on Thursday morning as part of a daylong tour through the region with Rep. Tom Reed.

Ambassador Young-mok Kim, consul general of the Republic of Korea in New York, and Jungwook Hong, a member of the Korean National Assembly, traveled with Reed, R-Corning, to several spots in his congressional district.

After meeting with Korean students and Rochester business leaders at the University of Rochester, the group went to White Haven Memorial Park in Perinton to honor Korean War veterans.

"I appreciate the sacrifice you made in protecting a country and a people you barely knew," Hong told 10 local Korean War veterans at the ceremony. "Thank you. We'll never forget."

Kim echoed Hong's words of gratitude. The men together presented each veteran with an Ambassador of Freedom medal. Hong and Kim also placed wreaths at the foot of the Korean War Veterans Memorial, in memory of the 164 local men and women killed while fighting in the war.

"Ours is known as the forgotten war, between World War II and Vietnam, but never ever by the people of Korea," said Frank Nicolazzo, 80, of Rochester, a Korean War veteran who attended the ceremony.

Roger Hill, 79, of Chili, president of the Monroe County Korean War Veterans Association, said he was touched that Hong and Kim took time to meet the group.

After the midday ceremony, Hong, Kim and Reed went to Constellation Brands Inc. in Victor to discuss the possibility of shipping agricultural products — including Finger Lakes wine — to South Korea, said Reed's communications director Tim Kolpien.

The visit stemmed from Reed's recent trip to South Korea in April as part of a trade mission. He met Hong on that trip and encouraged him to visit the U.S. and his district.