The Korea America Friendship Society celebrated United States servicemen and women during its annual “Friendship Night,” at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Seoul on Thursday.

As part of the annual fete, four U.S. soldiers and one U.S. Department of Defense civilian received Korea America Friendship Society awards.

The awards recognize them for teaching English on a volunteer basis; holding cultural exchanges, athletic events and festivals for young Korean students; and leading other projects that promote mutual understanding with the local community, the society said. 

The gala dinner was attended by about 600 figures, including Second Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul; Lt. Gen. Bernard S. Champoux, commanding general of the 8th U.S. Army; Deputy Commander Gen. Park Seon-woo; U.S. soldiers; officials from the U.S. Embassy; and local VIPs.

“The Korea America Friendship Society organized tonight’s event to encourage and show our gratitude to the exemplary USFK service members who are serving far from home to uphold the security and freedom of the Republic of Korea,” said Han Chul-soo, president of the Korea America Friendship Society, in a speech.

“Yesterday was the 64th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War,” he said. “We host the Friendship Night in June every year to forever remind ourselves of what happened on June 25th, 1950, when the enemy invaded our homeland and thus began the Korean War.”

The five recipients of the award were 2nd Lt. James W. Choi; Staff Sgt. Casey Platinum; Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel N. Armah; Marine Maj. Erick Min; and Ray Council, an outreach specialist with the Defense Department.

The awardees, and the hundreds in attendance, were treated to performances of traditional and modern South Korean music and dance, including the Kim Moon Air Dance Company and music by the South Korean Defense Ministry band.

Founded on June 26, 1991, the Korea America Friendship Society is a civilian nonprofit, nonpartisan organization which seeks to strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance and individual bonds of friendship between the two countries through increased people-to-people relationships.

“It is their blood, sweat and tears that became the seeds of the ROK’s freedom, peace and prosperity, as well as the cornerstone which transformed the war-torn nation into an economic powerhouse,” Han said of Korean War veterans. There are an estimated 2.5 million U.S. Korean War veterans.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2014@heraldcorp.com)