RSL’s Gapyeong Commemorative Scholarship - Seoul, KOREA
On Friday 29th April 2022, a special ceremony was held in Gapyeong, South Korea in which students from Gapyeong High School and students from Gapyeong Middle School received scholarship grants from RSL’s Jubilee Commemorative Fund.
The Gapyeong Commemorative Scholarships serve as a practical and enduring memorial to honour Australians who fought and lost their lives in the Korean War (1950 – 1953). They form part of an ongoing commitment to the development of the Gapyeong community and are administered through the Defence Attaché’s office in the Australian Embassy, Seoul.
Pictured with the recipient students:
Bottom row: Gapyeong High School Principal, Australian Army Officer Brigadier John Carey, Australian Ambassador, Her Excellency Cathy Raper, Gapyeong Middle School Principal and a Korean War veteran (name unknown).
Middle row: Captain Chris Smith RAN, Defence Attaché at the Australian Embassy.
The Battle of Gapyeong [Kapyong] 23–25 April 1951, became the most significant battle for the Australian military in the Korean War. Vastly outnumbered United Nations forces (including Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders) bore the brunt of an attack by a Communist offensive in the Gapyeong River Valley. Following fierce fighting, they managed to stall the Chinese advance at a cost of 32 Australians killed and 53 wounded.
The Scholarships were presented during a commemorative service for Australian and New Zealand veterans and members of the Australian community in South Korea, at the Australian New Zealand Memorial in the Gapyeong Valley.
Learn more about RSL’s Scholarship and Grants