Accompanied by a delegation from the Ministry of Defence, Vice Minister of the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, Roger Ingebrigtsen, attended the 60th Anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. A group of Norwegian veterans that served in the Korean War at the Norwegian Field Hospital NORMASH also attended the commemoration.
NORMASH
Norwegian veterans and Surgeon General John Maxfield Steineger in front of the Monument of Medical Support Nations. Photo: Royal Norwegian EmbassyThursday September 30th, the Norwegian veterans and the delegation from the Ministry of Defence attended a wreath laying ceremony at the Monument of Medical Support Nations in Busan. Veterans from Sweden and Denmark also participated in the ceremony.
Norway supported the UN forces during the Korean War by providing and operating a mobile hospital. The Norwegian Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (NORMASH) was opened in July 1951, formally placed under the command of the US 8th Army. The task of NORMASH was to give immediate surgical treatment to injured soldiers. 623 Norwegians served at NORMASH, treating a total of 90 000 patients during the three years the hospital was operating. The last location of NORMASH was at Dongduchon, directly on the 38th parallel where the demarcation line between North- and South Korea was located.
Tuesday October 5th, a group of Norwegian veterans will visit Dongduchon once again. The Korea-Norway Friendship Association erected a monument to commemorate NORMASH in Dongduchon March, 1972. The monument was a gift from the Koreans who worked at NORMASH, and it is now located outside the Freedom Protection Peace Museum. On Tuesday, the veterans will have a wreath laying ceremony at the monument.
Bilateral cooperation between Norway and South Korea – signing of MoU
Norway’s presence in the Korean War has created a strong relationship between South Korea and Norway. The two countries have signed several agreements regulating matters related to trade and economics, as well as cooperation within technology and Research and Development.
During his visit to South Korea, Vice Minister Ingebrigtsen had meetings with both the Vice Minister of the Korean Ministry of National Defence and the Commissioner of Defence and Acquisition Program Administration. On September 29th a Memorandum of Understanding between Norway and Korea concerning cooperation in the field of the defence industry and logistics support was signed. The MoU increases the ease of doing business between Norway and Korea in defence acquisitions, and may improve the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.