Daily Busan
Moment to be one, Turn Toward Busan
source: Busan Tourism Archive
If you hear sirens across Busan at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, don't be alarmed. They are not an emergency warning but a call to observe a minute of silence for United Nations service members who died in the 1950-53 Korean War. When they sound, pause and join in.
The minute of silence is part of Turn Toward Busan, an international observance held every Nov. 11. Launched in 2007 at the suggestion of Canadian Korean War veteran Vincent Courtenay, the campaign invites people worldwide to turn toward Busan, wherever they are, in honor of the UN troops who fell in the war. The date also marks the 1918 armistice that ended fighting in World War I, observed in many countries as a day to remember the war dead.
At the heart of the campaign is the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea in Nam-gu District, the world's only UN cemetery. More than 2,300 service members from 14 countries rest there. Open to the public, the cemetery offers visitors a place to remember the troops' sacrifice and reflect on the value of peace. Those unable to visit in person can pay tribute online through the cemetery's website.
✔ key information
- Wednesday, Nov. 11
- 11 a.m. One-Minute Moment of Silence
- Memorial Siren: Pause what you are doing and observe a minute of silence.
<Today's Vocabulary - 오늘의 단어>
observe: 기념하다 veteran: 참전 용사 sacrifice: 희생하다 pay tribute: 묵념하다, 헌사를 표하다
Editor: Song Soomi
Copy Editors: Ryu Hyoseung, Anton J. Mapoy