Park to meet Korean War veterans in Colombia

By Kim Kwang-tae

BOGOTA, April 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye was to meet with Colombian veterans of the Korean War on Saturday as she prepares to wrap up her three-day visit to the South American country.

The move illustrated that Seoul appreciated the sacrifice Colombia made in defense of South Korea, then a little-known, faraway nation across the Pacific.

Colombia was the only nation from Central and South America to fight alongside South Korea against Chinese-backed North Korean forces. About 5,300 troops were dispatched halfway around the world to help fight the North's invasion, of which 213 were killed and 567 wounded.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically in a state of war.

About 180 surviving veterans and family members of the war dead were to attend the ceremony at a hotel, according to South Korean officials.

Also Saturday, Park was to meet with more than a dozen people from the Korean community in an apparent move to motivate them to work hard.

Later in the day, Park will fly to Lima for a four-day visit that will include a meeting with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala.

Peru is the second stop on Park's four-nation swing to South America. The trip will also take her to Chile and Brazil for separate talks with her counterparts on deepening bilateral relations.

On Friday, Park met with her Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, and called for a quick ratification of a free trade agreement (FTA) to further boost bilateral trade.

The sides clinched an FTA in February 2013, but opposition mainly from the automobile sector in Colombia has delayed the domestic ratification process.

Colombia's Constitutional Court has yet to approve the deal, while South Korea's parliament has completed its ratification.

entropy@yna.co.kr
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