Han River Defense Baekgol Unit War Memorial한강방어 백골부대 전적비

About

The Battle of the Hangang River Defense Line was fought early in the Korean War, from June 28 to July 4, when three ROK Army divisions built a defensive line along the Hangang River and held back the North Korean attack. When the war broke out, the 18th Infantry Regiment (Baekgol Unit), then stationed at Samgakji in Seoul, sent its 2nd and 3rd Battalions to the Dongducheon area and deployed its 1st Battalion around Samgakji. Then, at dawn on June 28, the Hangang Bridge was blown up and the 1st Battalion’s chain of command was scattered, and First Lieutenant Kim Sang-deok, then commander of the 3rd Company, set up positions at Samgakji and fought street battles. Outnumbered, however, the troops moved to the Yeongdeungpo area, set up positions on the Hangang defense line, and fought on. Despite poor equipment and a shortage of troops, the 18th Infantry Regiment engaged the North Korean army and defended Yeongdeungpo on its own for seven days. Thanks to the success of the Hangang defense operation, the ROK Army was able to recover from its early-war losses and reorganize its equipment and troops, and it gained time for U.S. ground forces to enter the war, laying the groundwork for a counterattack. To honor the sacrifice and contribution of the Baekgol Unit soldiers, the Baekgol Veterans Association erected this monument in Yanghwa Artificial Waterfall Park on October 1, 2003, more than 50 years later. When the World Cup Bridge was built, it was moved in June 2020 to this site, which the Baekgol Unit soldiers defended during the Korean War.