Overview
Twenty-one UN member nations participated in the Korean War, helping to defend the Republic of Korea (ROK). The United Nations Command established its central cemetery in Busan, Korea (formerly Pusan) in mid-January 1951. It is the only UN memorial cemetery. The cemetery contains 2,300 graves of service members from 11 countries; 36 are from the United States. The United States contributed the greatest number of persons to the conflict, 1.7 million, of which 33,739 were battle deaths. Most were reinterred in the United States.
The U.S. Monument, dedicated in 2013, honors American service members who fought in the Korean War.
The inscription on the entry stone at the threshold of the monument reads:
This monument is to the American men
and women who gave their lives in defense of
the freedom of the Republic of Korea 1950-1953
Dedicated by the
American Battle Monuments Commission 2013
After World War II, Korea was divided into North (under Communist control) and South (the Republic of Korea) by the 38th Parallel.
Photos
Cemetery Information
Visiting Hours
The U.N. cemetery is open daily to the public. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May 1 through September 30, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year.
Contact Us
Korean War Monument at Busan
Busan
South Korea
History
June 25, 1950: North Korean units attack across the 38th Parallel.
June 27: UN Security Council urges member states to help the ROK repel the invasion. The U.S. leads the UN Command that forms.
July 1: First U.S. combat units arrive. The North Korean offensive continues southward before being stopped along the Nakdong River line.
August 4: The Pusan Perimeter is established.
September 15: A U.S. amphibious assault at Inchon flanks the enemy.
September 16: U.S. Eighth Army surges northward out of the Pusan Perimeter.
October 28: Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) enter the conflict, reinforcing North Korea.
1951 and 1952: Offensives and counteroffensives by both sides drag out the conflict.
July 27, 1953: An armistice is signed between the UN Command and the Chinese North Korean Command.
Directions
GPS Coordinates:
35°
7'
41"
N
,
129°
5'
47"
E
The Korean War Monument is located within the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, South Korea. The cemetery is located at 93, UN Pyeonghwa-ro, Nam-gu. It is a bus stop on the Busan City Tour and on the route of Bus 134.
Publications
News & Events
Download this infographic to see where ABMC sites are located throughout the world.
The U.S. Korean War Memorial at the United Nations (U.N.) Cemetery in Korea will be officially dedicated on July 28, 2013.
More than 500,000 Americans lost their lives in World War I and World War II defending democracy on soil and water far from the United States. The sacrifice of these men and women will be honored during ceremonies at America’s military cemeteries overseas, where more than 200,000 of these individuals are buried and memorialized.
Memorial Day–the federal holiday in which we honor our veterans and remember those who died while in the armed services–originated in the aftermath of the Civil War.