JOINT SECURITY AREA, Panmunjom, South Korea - A memorial ceremony was held Nov. 23 at the Joint Security Area for Cpl. Jang Myong-ki, a United Nations Command Security Battalion Soldier who died defending a Soviet defector here.
Jang was killed during a 21-minute firefight on Nov. 23, 1984, when a Soviet journalist ran into South Korea during a North Korean tour of the Joint Security Area. North Korean Soldiers chased him across the border.
United Nations Command Security Battalion Soldiers came to the defectors rescue, outflanking and ejecting his North Korean pursuers.
The Cpl. Jang Memorial Ceremony has taken place annually since then.
Ceremony attendants, including Cpl. Jung's bereaved family, offered floral tributes to the monument dedicated to Cpl. Jang.
Lt. Col. John E. Rhodes, commander of United Nations Command Security Battalion, and Lt. Col. Jung Hae-il, deputy commander of United Nations Command Security Battalion, delivered the memorial addresses at the ceremony.
"The prosperity of the Republic of Korea has only been possible due to heroes like Cpl. Jang who gave their lives for the freedom and peace of this country," said Jung. "It has been 25 years since Cpl. Jang passed away, but his name still remains in our memory."
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