Pastor So Kang-seok receives Order of Civil Merit for veterans advocacy

So Kang-seok, senior pastor of Saeedun Church, has received the Monan Medal of the Order of Civil Merit — the South Korean government's second-highest civilian honor — for leading private-sector veterans advocacy over the past two decades.

Minister of Patriots and Veterans Kwon O-eul presented the decoration on behalf of the government Monday at the UN Veterans Appreciation Dinner at Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, marking UN Forces Veterans Day.

So was recognized for working alongside Saeedun Church congregants over 20 years to honor Korean and UN veterans of the Korean War and to promote a national culture of gratitude toward those who served.

Since 2007, Saeedun Church has invited more than 7,700 Korean War veterans and their bereaved families from home and abroad to what has grown into the largest private-sector commemorative event of its kind. From 2016, the church produced and broadcast eight documentaries on the Korean War and the independence movement. It also ran a range of public outreach programs — patriotic music concerts, letter-writing campaigns for children, projects honoring independence activists and history education classes — to bring the spirit of veterans commemoration to a wider audience.

"For 20 years, I have served with joy and care, seeking to repay with tears of gratitude the history of freedom and peace preserved by the blood of veterans," So said. "I dedicate today's honor to the veterans and their families. I will remember and honor every last veteran so that their noble dedication and sacrifice may shine as lasting stars. I also hope that a culture of love for our country and gratitude to those who served will spread widely and be passed on fully to future generations."