The memory of the nation’s guardian heroes has been brought back to life as a single volume of history. Hanam City has set a new milestone in its culture of honoring veterans with the publication of History Written in Memory, an oral-history record collection documenting the lives of war veterans and bereaved families who devoted themselves to their country.
 [The Korean Today] Hanam City, the 2026 publication ceremony for the oral-history record collection of war heroes and their families, <History Written in Memory> © Reporter Baek Chang-hee |
On the 18th, Hanam City held the publication ceremony for History Written in Memory at the Misa Library, sharing with citizens a meaningful occasion that honored the lives and sacrifices of the war veterans and bereaved families living in the region.
Held to mark June, the Month of Patriots and Veterans, the event drew some 100 attendees — including Mayor Lee Hyun-jae, Hanam City Council Chair Geum Gwang-yeon, leaders of veterans’ organizations, the narrators and record researchers, and citizens — who together paid tribute to the noble sacrifices of the guardian heroes.
The vivid voices of heroes who threw themselves into the service of their homeland amid the whirlwind of history have been resurrected as a monumental record. On the 18th, at the Misa Library, Hanam City held the publication ceremony for the oral-history record collection ‘History Written in Memory,’ which captures the remarkable lives of war veterans and bereaved families.
 [The Korean Today] Hanam Mayor Lee Hyun-jae delivers a welcoming address at the publication ceremony for ‘History Written in Memory’ © Reporter Baek Chang-hee |
Mayor Lee Hyun-jae emphasized, “The peaceful daily life we enjoy today was built upon the precious sacrifice and devotion of countless guardian heroes,” adding, “Hanam City will continue to do its utmost in veterans’ education that correctly conveys and carries this noble spirit forward to future generations.”
This archival project is drawing great attention for going beyond a mere organizing of past records: it demonstrates Hanam City’s deep respect and dignified honoring of those who served the nation and their families. The city is being recognized for sublimating the tears and pain shed by those who devoted themselves to their country into a precious historical asset of the city, thereby raising the level of the region’s veterans’ culture to a new dimension.
 [The Korean Today] A commemorative group photo at the ‘History Written in Memory’ publication ceremony held at the Misa Library on the 18th © Reporter Baek Chang-hee |
‘History Written in Memory’ tenderly weaves together the life stories of nine individuals who faced the turbulent course of modern history head-on — including the two elders introduced earlier — namely: ▲ Vietnam War veterans Kim Man-su and Woo Hae-do, ▲ bereaved war-casualty family member Park Kyung-hee, ▲ Medal of Military Merit recipient Yang Hoe-yoon, ▲ special-mission honoree Jang Dae-hyun, ▲ bereaved war-casualty family member Lee Eun-ja, and ▲ descendant of an independence patriot Jeong So-gang.
At the ceremony, following the presentation of letters of appreciation and the screening of a documentary record, students of the Hanam Youth Council delivered a “Future Generations’ Pledge,” promising to correctly carry forward the noble spirit of the heroes across generations. The celebratory performance that followed deepened the ceremony’s emotion with an aerophone performance by narrator Woo Hae-do.
 [The Korean Today] ‘History Written in Memory’ — celebratory performance by narrator Woo Hae-do © Reporter Baek Chang-hee |
To commemorate the publication, Hanam City is holding a special planned exhibition on the first floor of the Hanam Veterans Hall through July 16. At the exhibition, visitors can see firsthand the photographs and videos taken during the narrators’ oral-history recording, along with key excerpts of the testimonies, and a letter-writing event to convey gratitude to the guardian heroes is also being run.
The exhibition features photographs and videos captured during the oral-history recording process as well as the main contents of the records, and citizens can also take part in a letter-writing event to express their thanks to the guardian heroes.
 [The Korean Today] ‘History Written in Memory,’ prepared in the first-floor lobby of the Hanam Veterans Hall — on exhibit through July 16 © Reporter Baek Chang-hee |
Memory fades as time passes, but records survive across generations. By preserving one person’s memory as the history of an entire city, this past — it is a living value that connects the present and the future.
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