Youth groups remember the Korean War

Two student organizations hosted a peace forum and concert at Imjingak, a site near the Demilitarized Zone, the buffer zone between South and North Korea, to commemorate the Korean War and honor its veterans.

The groups -- the Mind Shelter Project and Past for Present -- organized the "Youth International Peace Forum and Concert" in the lead-up to UN Veterans International Memorial Day on Nov. 11, building on their inaugural event from last year. The program, themed, "Unforgetting the Forgotten," drew students from international schools across South Korea.

The program featured a forum exploring the war's past, present and future implications, followed by a peace concert. Each segment focused on connecting younger generations with the war's lasting impact.

The initiative also supported several organizations through donations and scholarships, including the DMZ Ecology Research Center, a Hwaseong-based women's shelter and Wooridul School, an alternative school for North Korean defectors.

While today's youth enjoy unprecedented freedoms, the organizers emphasized how young soldiers of the Korean War sacrificed their futures to secure these liberties.

The event, coinciding with Korea's Liberation Day on Aug. 15, served as a bridge between generations, keeping the veterans' stories alive through youth engagement and remembrance.