A French delegation of 19 people including nine veterans arrive in Korea on Monday as part of events organized to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the armistice agreement that halted the Korean War, including the inauguration of a French monument in Suwon.

The group’s five-day visit here comes at the invitation of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and is led by Patrick Beaudouin, president of the National Association of Veterans of the U.N. French Forces.

The veterans will attend a solemn ceremony at the French quarter of the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea in Busan on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the veterans will visit Yanggu County where a great deal of the fighting during the three-year conflict took place. Yanggu has been twinned with the French municipality of Saint-Mande, a suburb of Paris. Beaudouin, who leads the delegation, is the mayor Saint-Mande.

The northern part of Yanggu County formed part of the front line for much of the Korean War, and borders the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The veterans will also visit the Heartbreak Ridge Veterans Center inside the DMZ.

Several Korean War battle sites are located in Yanggu County, including Bloody Ridge and Heartbreak Ridge, as well as Hill 1179, which is called Daeusan Mountain.

Thursday will see the delegation inaugurate a totally refurbished monument in Suwon.

(ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)