Indian War Memorial inaugurated at Imjingak Park, Seoul, honouring Indian troops in the Korean War
On 21 May 2026 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and South Korea's Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul inaugurated the Indian War Memorial at Imjingak Park, Seoul, honouring the 60 Para Field Ambulance and the Custodian Force of India.
Summary
The Indian War Memorial at Imjingak Park, Seoul, was jointly inaugurated on 21 May 2026 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Republic of Korea's Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Kwon Oh-eul, as part of events marking the 75th anniversary of the Korean War. The memorial honours the Indian Army's 60 Para Field Ambulance, called the 'Maroon Angels' by Koreans, and the Custodian Force of India (CFI), which served under the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission chaired by India under Lt Gen KS Thimayya. The memorial stands where the CFI set up 'Hind Nagar' in September 1954, housing almost 22,000 prisoners of war, and was built with funding from India's Defence Ministry. The two ministers also signed an MoU on honouring Korean War veterans.
Key facts
- Date / place
- 21 May 2026, Imjingak Park, Seoul
- Inaugurated by
- Rajnath Singh and Kwon Oh-eul (RoK Minister of Patriots & Veterans Affairs)
- Occasion
- 75th anniversary of the Korean War
- Honours
- 60 Para Field Ambulance ('Maroon Angels', CO Lt Col (Dr) AG Rangaraj, MVC) and Custodian Force of India
- NNRC
- Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission chaired by India under Lt Gen KS Thimayya
- Site
- Where CFI set up 'Hind Nagar' (Sept 1954) for almost 22,000 POWs
- Also
- MoU on honouring Korean War veterans; memoir released
Practice MCQs 4 questions
Where was the Indian War Memorial, honouring Indian troops of the Korean War, inaugurated on 21 May 2026?
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Correct answer: A — Imjingak Park, Seoul
Rajnath Singh and Kwon Oh-eul jointly inaugurated the memorial at Imjingak Park, Seoul.
By what title did wounded soldiers and civilians in Korea remember the Indian Army's 60 Para Field Ambulance?
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Correct answer: D — Maroon Angels
The unit's bravery and humanitarian approach earned it the title 'Maroon Angels' from wounded soldiers and civilians of the Republic of Korea.
'Hind Nagar', set up by the Custodian Force of India in September 1954 where the new memorial stands, housed almost how many prisoners of war?
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Correct answer: C — 22,000
PIB: Hind Nagar housed almost 22,000 prisoners of war until their peaceful repatriation.
Consider the following statements about the Indian War Memorial in Seoul (May 2026): 1. The Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission after the Korean War was chaired by India under Lt Gen KS Thimayya. 2. The memorial was built with funding support from India's Ministry of Defence. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are in the PIB release: India chaired the NNRC under Lt Gen KS Thimayya, and the project had funding support from the Ministry of Defence.