First lady thanks U.N. veterans of Korean War in hand-written letter

First lady Kim Keon Hee on Monday thanked a group of visiting U.N. veterans who fought for South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, in a hand-written letter sent for a program commemorating their service in the conflict, the veterans ministry said. In the letter, Kim praised the veterans' "noble sacrifice" in defending South Korea during the war, which began with North Korean aggression and ended in an armistice on July 27, 1953. "The Republic of Korea will forever remember the war veterans. It will also not forget the toil of the family members who quietly devoted themselves from behind," she wrote, using South Korea's official name. The letter will be delivered to 35 representatives of the group of U.N. veterans and family members visiting the country as part of the commemorative program, which coincided with the 71st anniversary of the armistice's signing on Saturday. In response, Charles Lusardi, a U.S. veteran of the war, was set to gift a quilt made of ties donated by American veterans to Kim and Pre sident Yoon Suk Yeol, according to the ministry. Nearly 2 million troops and personnel from 22 countries were dispatched to support South Korea under the U.N. flag during and right after the war. More than 40,000 of them died, with 3,950 others going missing, according to the ministry. Source: Yonhap News Agency