Pinky swear: "I'll become a female soldier"... An elementary school student's moving letter of support from 11 years ago

A Letter of Support Received During Military Service in 2015 Draws Attention
Recalls the Wooden-Box Mine Incident and Prays for Soldiers' Safety
Three Soldiers Injured in DMZ Land Mine Explosions Last Month

A story about someone who shared a letter of encouragement they had received from an elementary school student while serving in the military 11 years ago and expressed their gratitude has drawn attention online.

On October 23, a post appeared on social media (SNS) asking, "A, born in 2004 and a graduate of Yeongwol Elementary School, did you become a soldier?" The author, who said they had received the letter while serving in the military in 2015, wrote, "Thank you for writing a letter to a soldier in the armed forces," and added, "Whatever you do, always be happy and healthy. Thank you."

"Even if war breaks out, please survive and protect us": A letter from 11 years ago

A letter of encouragement written by an elementary school student to military personnel was released on September 17, 2015, drawing attention. Threads

The accompanying photo shows that the letter was written to a member of the armed forces by A, then a fifth-grader at Yeongwol Elementary School, on September 17, 2015. Recalling the situation at the time, when soldiers were on alert following North Korean provocations, A wrote, "I was moved and grateful when I watched the news." A also said, "My older sister's boyfriend and my friends were serving in the military, and they said they prepared for war after hearing the news."

Referring to an incident in which two soldiers were injured by a North Korean landmine, A wrote, "Two innocent soldiers were sacrificed. So they turned on the loudspeakers, and war almost broke out." A then wished the soldiers safety, writing, "Even if war breaks out, please make sure you survive and protect us." At the end, A wrote, "I will become a woman soldier and join the army, too," and added, "Please wait until then. Promise," along with a drawing of a pinky finger.

Online users responded with comments such as, "I'm touched by this carefully written letter," "A heart that knows how to be grateful," and "What a lovely and admirable child." One user recalled a similar experience, saying, "When I was young, I also wrote a thank-you letter at elementary school for Armed Forces Day, but I don't know if anyone actually received it."

The incident A referred to appears to be the explosion of a wooden-box landmine in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on August 4, 2015. At the time, two mines exploded beneath a gate at a South Korean guard post (GP), 440 meters south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), causing two noncommissioned officers on a search mission to lose their legs. A joint investigation team announced on August 10, six days after the incident, that a wooden-box landmine planted by North Korea had caused the explosions. The military resumed loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea that same day, 11 years after they were suspended in June 2004.

Three soldiers injured by landmines in the DMZ... North Korea calls it "an obvious fabrication"

Meanwhile, at around 10:50 a.m. on September 21, landmines exploded twice south of the MDL in the DMZ on the western front, injuring three soldiers. The soldiers were clearing a search route to check for landmines and unexploded ordnance, with around 10 personnel, including the commander of the Army's 25th Division Reconnaissance Battalion, taking part. An Army engineer noncommissioned officer who was detecting mines at the front of the formation was seriously injured in the legs by the first explosion. The battalion commander, a lieutenant colonel who approached to rescue him, lost an ankle in the second explosion. The two critically injured soldiers were taken by medical evacuation helicopter to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital and underwent surgery that day. They were reported to be out of life-threatening danger.

The military initially announced that the incident was an "explosion of unknown cause," but officially confirmed on September 30, nine days after the incident, that it had been caused by a "North Korean landmine," and called on North Korea to apologize and take responsible action. A joint on-site investigation with the United Nations (UN) Command also found an additional North Korean plastic antipersonnel mine. In a statement that same day, however, Kim Yo Jong, director of the Workers' Party's General Affairs Department, called the incident "an obvious fabrication" and warned, "If you fire live rounds at us, our border units will immediately and mercilessly retaliate." She later also rejected calls for an apology.

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