I remember it was a day in May 2005 when I delivered a speech at the “Ambassador Pyo Wook Han Lecture Series on Korean-US Affairs” and met several Korean War Veterans. A Korean War Veteran showed me some pictures from the Korean War when he fought 55 years ago. They reminded me of the scars and traumas that divided the whole world into two poles of communism and capitalist democracy, and how the bi-polar confrontation of the Cold War bisected the Korean Peninsula and Korean nation. I came to realize the scars are still there among KWVs.

Despite the enormous loss of life and uncounted number of wounded, the war they fought is still called “Korean Conflict” or “forgotten war.” I could tell from their eyes that they felt disgraced and want someone to correct this false historical understanding of the Korean War. As a former acting president who has worked on this blood-based alliance, I felt that I needed to do something to redeem the historical data of KWVs’ memories and sacrifice, illuminating the real Korean War. Finally, I and Professor Jongwoo Han (a director of the Ambassador Pyo Wook Han Lecture series) came to the idea of preserving KWVs’ memories in the form of a digital memorial in cyberspace. With financial support from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Professor Han and his team constructed the Korean War Veterans Digital Memorial. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Maxwell School of Syracuse University and all people who have contributed to the establishment of this digital memorial. Most of all, this memorial is for the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for the Korean nation, and I wish other KWVs will follow the Korean War Veterans Association, Central New York Chapter #105. The KWVDM is the only way to preserve and use the interviews and different forms of data permanently without the limitations of storage and accessibility. I invite all Korean War Veterans, not only from the United States but also from other countries who fought in the Korean War to participate in the KWVDM so that it can serve as a symbol of peace after the Armistice in the Korean Peninsula is replaced by a peace treaty.

The former Acting President of Republic of Korea and Trustee Emeritus of Syracuse University.
Goh, Kun

2005년 5월이었습니다, 시라큐스 대학의 이사로서 맥스웰 스쿨의 한/미 현안에 관한 한표욱 대사 강좌에서 이 지역 미국인 한국전 참전용사들을 만나게 되었습니다. 그들의 손엔 55년전 한국전쟁을 상기시키는 많은 사진들이 있었습니다. 그들의 손에 담긴 전쟁사진을 보며, 수백만의 사상자로 얼룩진 내전이요 전 세계를 민주주의와 공산주의로 양분시킨 미국과 소련의 대결을 알렸던 한국전쟁의 상처가 아직도 아물지 않았음을 또 한번 실감하게 되었습니다.

그들의 눈에서 자신들이 참전하여 목숨을 잃고 부상을 당한 그 전쟁이 “Korean Conflict” 또는 “잊혀진 전쟁”으로 불리우는 불명예 또는 그릇된 역사인식에 대한 불만과 함께 이를 바로 잡아줄 누군가를 간절히 원하는 속마음을 읽을 수 있었습니다. 대한민국을 책임졌던 한 사람으로서, 현재 양국간의 혈맹과 가장 가까운 우방으로서의 관계에 대해 다시금 성찰하게 되었고, 이 분들의 희생을 영원히 기억하며 재성찰 할 수 있는 그 무엇인가를 만들어야 겠다는 생각에 이르렀고, 시라큐스 대학 한종우 교수와 함께 싸이버 공간에 이 분들의 기억과 경험을 담아내자는 데에 이르게 되었습니다. 그동안 여러가지 경로를 통해 이의 실현을 추진해 온 끝에 대한민국 정부 보훈처의 지원으로 조그마하게 “한국전 참전용사 디지털 기념관 (The Korean War Veterans Digital Memorial)을 시작하게 되었습니다. 아이디어를 실현하는 과정에 참여한 시라큐스 대학 한국/미국 학생들과 지역 미국인, 그리고 한국전 참전용사 중부뉴욕 105지부 회원들께 감사와 축하의 말씀을 전합니다.

미국의 참전용사는 물론 참전한 모든 국가들의 참전용사들의 인터뷰와 각종 기록을 영원히 제한없이 보관, 재활용 할 수 있는 유일한 방법이라 생각되며, 언젠가 휴전협정이 평화협정으로 대치되며 한반도의 평화가 정착되는 날, 국적을 불문하고 남녀노소가 언제 어디서나 손 쉽게 접할 수 있는 한반도와 세계 평화를 상징하는 “싸이버 납골당”이 되도록 많은 분들이 함께 하시길 기원하는 바입니다. 전 대통령 권한 대행/ 시라큐스 대학 명예이사 고 건

Prof. Shin, Young-Bok was born in 1941 in Milyang, Kyungnam Province. After graduating from the Department of Economics in both undergraduate and graduate course at Seoul National University, he taught in the Department of Economics at Sookmyung Women's University as a lecturer. While teaching in the Korean Military Academy as an instructor, in 1968, he was accused of being involved in the Case of Revolution-for-Korean Unification party. He was arrested and sentenced to death in Martial Court. Afterwards, the initial verdict of death was overturned at the Korean Supreme Court, but he was sentenced life imprisonment. After 20 years and 20 days of imprisonment, he received special pardon on August 15, 1988 and was released.

Shin refers to his twenty-year imprisonment as his "university days." During 20 year imprisonment, he was able to nourish critical insight into society represented by the terms he coined as "cool head," and warm compassion for humans termed "warm heart."

He has taught courses on Politico-economics, History of Korean Thoughts, Readings of Chinese Classics, and so on at SungKongHoe University since 1989. Since retiring in August, 2006 as the Dean of the Graduate School, he has continued teaching as a 'chair professor' at the same university.

Books: Reflections From the Prison Trees Oh Trees Together Into a Forest As it Was In the Beginning Rectures: My readings of Chinese Classics Memories of Chung-Gu Hoe For the First Time On the Way to the Forest

Translations: Forein Trade and National Economy Man Oh Man Biography Rushin Selections of Chinese Historical Poems and Songs