Soldiers demanding veteran status / KBS 2025.03.28.

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Mar 282025

[Anchor] However, today (Mar. 28), there were protests outside the ceremony. These are the veterans who contributed to the victory in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong. They were expressing the shock they experienced during the engagement, and how even after more than 20 years, they have not been recognized as veterans. This is Jo Hye-jin reporting. [Report] On West Sea Defense Day, outside the ceremony venue, there are reserve soldiers. These are the soldiers who participated in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong. They applied for national veteran status last year but were not recognized. In June 1999, the high-speed boat, the Chamsuri, faced the North Korean military while pushing back a North Korean patrol boat that had invaded the NLL in the West Sea. The engagement began with a surprise attack from North Korea. [Ahn Tae-sung/First Battle of Yeonpyeong veteran: "It was a situation where bullets were flying, and the metal shelves (inside the ship) were being pierced through and through and through."] They are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to those memories. [Kwak Young-jin/First Battle of Yeonpyeong veteran: "The brutal and fierce memories flash by like a panorama... I still remember everything."] However, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs states that there is insufficient official documentation from 1999 or subsequent treatment records. Without being registered as national veterans, they cannot receive compensation or medical support. In response, a bill has been proposed to more actively recognize PTSD cases as national veterans. [Ko Dong-jin/Member of the National Assembly: "We need to comprehensively assess the characteristics of the duties at that time, the situation, and the indirect effects on current social activities."] There are also calls for legislation to honor soldiers who participated in combat, similar to the 'Veteran Honor Allowance' provided to soldiers who fought in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. This is KBS News, Jo Hye-jin reporting. ▣ KBS 기사 원문보기 : http://news.kbs.co.kr/news/view.do?nc... ▣ 제보 하기 ◇ 카카오톡 : 'KBS제보' 검색 ◇ 전화 : 02-781-1234 ◇ 홈페이지 : https://goo.gl/4bWbkG ◇ 이메일 : kbs1234@kbs.co.kr Copyright ⓒ KBS. All rights reserved. 무단 전재, 재배포 및 이용(AI 학습 포함) 금지