South Korea's veterans ministry has chosen a unified Belgium-Luxembourg battalion as next month's Korean War hero for its contribution to key defense operations during the 1950-53 conflict, officials said Friday.

The battalion consisted of 700 Belgian troops and 48 Luxembourg soldiers, who were mobilized to fight under the UN banner in support of South Korea. It was credited with blocking enemy forces' southward advance in the northeastern province of Gangwon for 55 straight days.

According to government data, Belgium dispatched 3,498 soldiers to the war. Of them, 104 were killed and 336 wounded. As for Luxembourg, two were killed and 15 wounded out of 110 participants. (Yonhap)