Prime Minister Stephen Harper visits demilitarized zone in Korea

December 07, 2009

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today visited the strategically and historically significant joint security area at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea.  At the site, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the 27,000 Canadians who served in the Korean War, including the 516 Canadians who gave their lives defending South Korea’s freedom.
 
“More than 50 years after the armistice, the Demilitarized Zone remains a poignant reminder of Canada’s largest foreign military engagement since the Second World War,” said Prime Minister Harper.  “It is a vivid reminder of the tragic division of the Korean peninsula and of the serious threat to regional and global security posed by North Korea and, in particular, its nuclear and missile programs.”
 
“Just as during the Korean War, Canada is firmly committed to supporting freedom, peace and stability in Northeast Asia,” added the Prime Minister.  “We will continue to support all avenues to reach a peaceful resolution to this tragic legacy and bring about improvements to the lives of those suffering under the oppression of the North Korean regime.”
 
Canadian veterans of the Korean War return to South Korea each year in April under programs coordinated by the Korean Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Korea Veterans Association of Canada.
 
Canada currently supports peace and security in the Korean Peninsula through the deployment of a Canadian Forces officer working in the Demilitarized Zone as part of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) and through an active Canadian Defence Attaché Office in Seoul.  The attaché serves as Canada’s liaison to UN Command and the Canadian member of the UNCMAC Advisory Group.