The year 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of establishing the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK) in 1951. Constructed to remember the fallen soldiers of the Korean War (1950-1953) in Busan, Korea, the cemetery has been a final resting place of the 2,311 war dead from 11 countries of the UN forces who fought for the cause of preserving freedom and peace. This study sheds light on the social dynamics of bridging war veterans and younger generations, building solidarity in post-conflict societies. In commemoration of the Canadian International Conference on Humanities & Social Sciences (HUSO2021), I introduce a case study of a volunteering group of Korean university students named UN Supporters honoring the Korean War veterans from Canada. This interconnection was made possible through the UNMCK in the past two years. While there are numerous studies on the Korean War, it is a reality that academics have hardly investigated this graveyard. Moreover, the study highlights the necessity for further research to examine contemporary society’s social engagements at war memorials. In this regard, I conducted various types of qualitative research methods to fill a gap in the existing literature: (1) a documentation review of the UNMCK, (2) the interview with the representative of the UN Supporters, (3) the archival analysis at the United Nations Archives and Records Management Section (UN ARMS) in New York, and (4) the online research of the British Pathé and the Reuters historical collection. My research demonstrates the war graves’ possibilities as a living heritage, connecting various stakeholders who can transcend borders and ideologies. The research findings illuminate that the UNMCK may serve as a forum for achieving international peace in postwar society. It would thus be the first critical study raising public awareness on collaborative networks and promoting social empowerment through this one and only UN official cemetery. In the end, I expect that this presentation would contribute towards human development issues at a national, regional, and global level of heritage, which leads to strengthening bonds of solidarity in diverse societies.
