Honoring 7,700 Veterans Over 20 Years... Pastor Kang-Suk So Receives Moran Medal of the Order of Civil Merit

Sae Eden Church Continues Self-Funded Invites for Veterans
Produced 8 Documentaries on the Korean War and Independence Movement
"Remembering Every Last Veteran... Dedicating the Medal to Veterans and Their Families"

Pastor Kwangsuk Soh, senior pastor of Sae Eden Church, has been awarded the Moran Medal of the Order of Civil Merit in recognition of his efforts to honor Korean War veterans both in Korea and abroad and to promote a culture of recognition for those who served. The Moran Medal is the second-highest honor among the five grades of the Order of Civil Merit, following the Mugunghwa Medal.

Pastor Kwangsuk Soh of Sae Eden Church (second from left) is taking a commemorative photo with Minister Wo Eul Kwon (left) after receiving the Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal, on the 27th. Sae Eden Church

Sae Eden Church announced on July 28 that the medal presentation ceremony took place during the "UN Forces Participating Nations Appreciation Dinner" hosted by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on the 27th, which is the "UN Forces Participation Day." Minister Wo Eul Kwon of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs presented the medal to Pastor Soh on behalf of the government. The dinner event invited veterans and bereaved family members from 22 UN member nations that participated in the Korean War.

From 2007 to this year, Pastor Soh and Sae Eden Church have organized appreciation events at their own expense for over 7,700 veterans and their families, both in Korea and abroad, for 20 consecutive years. They have also traveled to countries such as the United States, Canada, and Ethiopia to hold local ceremonies in UN participating nations, and have continued efforts to invite elderly veterans who could not travel to Korea due to age.

They have also taken the lead in spreading a culture of recognition through documentation and education. Since 2016, the church has produced and aired eight documentaries on the Korean War and the independence movement, while also hosting patriotic concerts, letter-writing events for children to express gratitude, commemorative projects for independence activists, and history education programs. The government stated that these activities have helped expand the recognition and respect for veterans at a civic level and contribute to passing on the spirit of gratitude to future generations.

Pastor Soh said, "I have served with joy for the past 20 years to repay the grace of God and the sacrifices of the veterans who preserved our freedom and peace," adding, "I dedicate today's medal to the veterans and their families." He continued, "I will remember the noble dedication and sacrifice of every last surviving veteran and do my best to repay them," and expressed his hope that the culture of recognizing those who served for the country will be carried on for future generations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.