South Korean university students participate in the Book of Remembrance rededication ceremony at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on June 25, 2026. (Alejandro Carrasquel/Stars and S)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Twenty-three reproduced volumes based on the original Book of Remembrance that carries the names of soldiers killed in the Korean War were rededicated recently during ceremonies at United Nations Command and Combined Forces Command.
The events marked the 76th anniversary of North Korea’s invasion June 26 and concluded a U.N. Korean War Allies Association and student-led restoration effort involving 6,520 hours of work across approximately 2,900 original pages.
The original Books of Remembrance were begun after the 1953 armistice that ended the three-year Korean War. The ministries of defense and embassies of the 22 participating nations supplied the names of nearly 40,000 fallen U.N. service members who fought in the war, according to Kim Doo-geon, chairman of the allies association.
Gen. Kim Sung-min, deputy commander of Combined Forces Command, presents Korea University students with an award for their part in creating the copies of the Book of Remembrance at a rededication ceremony at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on June 25, 2026. (Alejandro Carrasquel/Stars and S)
The reproduced volumes traveled to the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan for a ceremony May 23 marking the end of “Thank You Very March,” Canadian Guy Black’s 389-mile walk between Korean War memorials, before arriving at Humphreys for their formal rededication.
At U.N. Command, Australian Army Lt. Gen. Scott A. Winter, the deputy commander, held a ceremony to thank the students and reflected on the scale of loss recorded across the collection.
“Behind every one of those names is a story, a family and a level of sadness that we can only begin to appreciate,” Winter said. “I am a military historian at heart, and in my reading of history, never previous to this did such a diverse group of nations come together in a time of need.”
Kim Doo-geon, director of the United Nations Korean War Allies Assosiation, speaks during the Book of Remembrance rededication ceremony at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on June 25, 2026. (Alejandro Carrasquel/Stars and S)
At Combined Forces Command, Kim addressed the students before the copies were formally accepted.
“Today, on the solemn 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, we gather for a historic act of dedication,” Kim said. “For these books to arrive here today, young people followed two different paths toward one purpose.”
The volunteers — students from Korea University and University of Seoul — spent more than four months restoring the records. Another group provided support during Black’s memorial walk in April and May.
In 2006, Combined Forces Command dedicated older copies of the books at its headquarters in Yongsan. After the move to Pyeongtaek, the command showed interest in acquiring new copies, said Selina Kim, spokeswoman for the allies association.
Lt. Gen. Scott Winter, deputy commander of United Nations Command in South Korea, addresses the crowd during the Book of Remembrance rededication ceremony at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on June 25, 2026. (Alejandro Carrasquel/Stars and S)
“The names of the heroes recorded in these books, restored by the hands of Korean youth, carried by their footsteps and reunited with their comrades in Busan, will now be permanently enshrined at ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command,” Kim said. ROK is an acronym for Republic of Korea, the official name of South Korea.
South Korean army Gen. Kim Sung-min, the combined forces deputy commander, formally accepted the copies.
“The book is far more than a historical archive,” Kim said. “It will stand as a living testament and a moral compass to uphold the ideals and purpose that we must continue to protect.”
During an interview after the ceremony, Kim considered the responsibility carried by a country transformed since the war.
“We have transitioned from a nation in need to a nation of capacity and strength,” Kim said.
