South Korea’s Dongwon Group, globally known as the owner of leading US canned tuna company StarKist Co., commemorated some 170 American veterans of the Korean War and their families in a ceremony Wednesday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The event was attended by members of the Korean War Veterans of Western Pennsylvania association and their families, StarKist President and CEO Andrew Choe as well as Dongwon Enterprise Vice Chairman Park In-gu.

“To the Korean War veterans of Western Pennsylvania, thank you for your service,” Park said during his speech in Pittsburgh, home to StarKist’s headquarters. “Your sacrifice was great. American servicemen and women braved violent combat in Korea, and suffered great losses.”

Approximately 1.8 million Americans, including about 226,000 Pennsylvania residents, fought in the Korean War in the 1950s. Of some 54,200 American soldiers who lost their lives during the war, 2,401 were from Pennsylvania, Park noted.

“We are forever grateful for the bravery and service made by the Korean War Veterans, and we are humbled to be a part of such a wonderful celebration today,” the Dongwon executive said.

Led by Dongwon Group Chairman and founder Kim Jae-chul, the group has conducted a commemorative event for Korean War veterans annually since 2010. It has also erected a memorial for Korean War veterans near StarKist’s offices on the city’s north shore.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)