The Korean War—the “Forgotten War”? Forgotten by whom? We in South Korea have not forgotten. On 25 June 1950, North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel. South Korean forces fought to keep their country from being overrun. Americans and troops from other nations joined them under the UN flag. Over the course of the war, North Korea mobilized at least 785,000 personnel from its own territory alone, excluding recruits from the occupied South. China’s official accounts put its cumulative participation at about 2.9 million. South Korean official figures list the five largest foreign contributors by cumulative personnel: United States — 1,789,000 served; 36,574 dead and 92,134 wounded. United Kingdom — 56,000 served; 1,106 dead and 2,674 wounded. Canada — 26,791 served; 516 dead and 1,212 wounded. Türkiye — 21,212 served; 900 dead and 1,155 wounded. Australia — 17,164 served; 340 dead and 1,216 wounded. Eleven more countries sent combat troops—16 combat contributors in all. A further six provided medical support during the war and its aftermath, bringing South Korea’s recognized total to 22 nations. Across the UN contingents, South Korean records list 40,803 dead and 103,460 wounded, as well as 3,950 missing and 5,819 taken prisoner. Those who came to Korea faced summer heat, winter cold, artillery fire and repeated assaults. They fought on hills whose names their families had never heard. Medics treated the wounded. Others helped civilians escape the fighting. Many never came home. For Korean families, this war is not a distant chapter in someone else’s history. It left empty places at the table, relatives separated by a border, and names carved into memorials. The armistice stopped the fighting in 1953. The U.S.–ROK military alliance that followed has remained one of the foundations of South Korea’s security and present-day prosperity. Koreans rebuilt their country. The men and women who helped defend it gave that rebuilding a chance. To every American veteran and every veteran of the other nations who served under the UN flag in Korea: to those still with us, those who have passed away, and those who never returned— Thank you. We have not forgotten you.