US official chokes up at Korean War armistice ceremony: 'I would never have met my wife'

Michael DeSombre, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said Monday (local time) — the 73rd anniversary of the Korean War armistice — that the armistice marked the beginning of the US-South Korea alliance and underscored its enduring importance.

Speaking at a commemoration ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DeSombre said July 27, 1953 "was not only the end of hostilities, but also the birth of an enduring alliance — forged through shared sacrifice."

"The two countries fought together against communism and to defend democracy and freedom on the Korean Peninsula," he said, adding that the sacrifices made by American and Korean troops serve as a reminder that freedom is not free.

"Our mission today is to ensure that, should we ever be called to fight again, we stand ready to do so side by side — and to defend prosperity, security and peace," he said.

DeSombre grew emotional as he noted that his wife's family is from Incheon. "Without the shared sacrifice to defend a free Korea, I would never have met my wife," he said, his voice breaking. His wife is of Korean descent.

John Tilelli, a former USFK commander and chairman of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, which organized the event, said some people still question the US-South Korea relationship. "I ask only one thing: honor the sacrifice of those who gave their lives and do not regard this war as the 'Forgotten War,'" he said.

Army Brig. Gen. Yun Hyong-jin, the defense attaché at the South Korean Embassy in Washington, also attended. "The alliance, forged in the crucible of battle, is stronger than ever," he said. "It is not merely a strategic partnership — it is an unbreakable brotherhood, bound by blood and shared values."