The Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance
A new focal point to the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall was open to the public on July 27, 2022 — a remembrance wall featuring the names of more than 36,000 Americans who died supporting the War and over 7,100 Koreans who died while augmenting the Army.
The wall consists of 100 panels. The names are organized by rank and respective branch of service, demonstrating how the War’s burden fell unevenly across the military — with privates and privates first class taking up the first 44 of the 84 Army panels.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation (KWVMF) cares deeply about each Veteran who fought in the Korean War and their Families. To honor the 36,634 fallen Korean War Service Members and 7,174 Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army (or KATUSA) Soldiers, the Foundation raised funds, worked with the Department of Defense (DOD) for the official names of the deceased, and worked with the National Park Service (NPS) for the addition of the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The Foundation used official information about these Veterans (to include name, rank, and service) from the Department of Defense (DOD). The Foundation worked with the National Park Service (NPS) for the design and placement of the Wall of Remembrance, because the NPS is responsible for all national monuments and memorials.
We will continue to work with DOD and NPS to accurately reflect the names of fallen Korean War Veterans in the Wall of Remembrance. If DOD determines that changes need to be made and the Foundation is informed, we will work with NPS to make appropriate changes.
The newly renovated Memorial and the new Wall of Remembrance honor all Korean War Veterans, those Veterans killed in action, and their Families. We deeply appreciate the support of Korean War Veterans and their Families as we hope that the Memorial will become a living center where Americans and Koreans can gather to honor the fallen, learn their stories and about their contributions, and inspire current and future generations.
BREAKDOWN OF NAMES
United States Army
United States Marine Corps
United States Navy
United States Air Force
29,857
4,522
668
1,587
TOTAL US CASUALTIES
TOTAL ROK CASUALTIES
36,634
7,174
COMBINED CASUALTY COUNT
43,808
The Renovation
During the construction of the Wall of Remembrance, the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation also rehabilitated the 25-year-old Memorial. Together the Foundation and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company:
- Repaired pavement
- Replaced the engraved names of participating countries and casualty figures with stainless steel letters
- Refinished the stainless-steel statues
- Replaced the linden trees around the Pool of Remembrance
- Replaced the juniper trees in the Field of Service
- Updated the existing lighting with high-efficiency LED lamps
Planning Phases
- Wall of Remembrance Act
- Design Approval
- Fundraising
- Groundbreaking
- Construction of the Wall
- Dedication Ceremony
Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act
On October 7, 2016, Congress enacted the “Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act’’ (Public Law 114–230). This legislation authorized the KWVMF to construct a Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The Act required that the wall include a list of names of members of the Armed Forces of the United States who died in the Korean War, as determined by the Secretary of Defense. The Wall of Remembrance will also include other information about the Korean War, including the number of members of the Armed Forces of the United States, the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and the other nations of the United Nations Command who, in regards to the Korean War— (A) were killed in action; (B) were wounded in action; (C) are listed as missing in action; or (D) were prisoners of War.
Design Approval
In order to reduce impacts to the Memorial and the National Mall, the preferred design concept has a minimal approach. The design consisted of adding a low angled wall integrated into the landscape surrounding the original Memorial; expanding the circular plaza outside the two rows of linden trees by nine feet to provide circulation around the new curvilinear wall; raising the existing berm from the surrounding landscape from four to ten percent to conceal most of the wall and maintain reciprocal views of the Memorial and the National Mall; providing two new pedestrian paths to connect the Pool of Remembrance to Ash Road and Independence Avenue, and rehabilitating the existing Memorial.
Fundraising
Through the generous donations of the American and Korean people, the necessary funding of $22 million for the construction costs of the Wall of Remembrance has been raised.
| Chairman | Ministry of Patriot and Veterans Affairs, Republic of Korea |
| Chairman | SK Holdings |
| President | Korean Veterans Association of the Republic of Korea |
| President | Kumho Petrochemical |
| President | Korea-US Alliance Foundation |
| President | Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta |
| President | Maryland, State of |
| President | KWVA Foothills Chapter 301 |
| President | National Unification Advisory Council |
| President | Sae Eden Presbyterian Church |
| President | Korean American Society of Virginia |
| President | Poongsan |
| President | Mudang Gumpa |
Groundbreaking Ceremony
On Friday, May 21, 2021, the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation (KWVMF) hosted the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Groundbreaking Ceremony & Broadcast. The groundbreaking marked the completion of years-long fundraising to for the construction.
Speakers:
- General John H Tilelli, Jr., U.S. Retired, Chairman of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, (Host)
- President Moon Jae-in, Republic of Korea
- The Honorable Lee Soo-Hyuc, Republic of Korea Ambassador to the United States of America
- Governor Larry Hogan & First Lady Yumi Hogan, State of Maryland
- The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense, United States of America
- The Honorable Hwang Ki-chul, Minister to Ministry of Patriot and Veterans Affairs, Republic of Korea
- Mr. Kelly K. Mckeague, Director, Department of Defense POW/MIA’s Accountability Agency, United States of America
- Ms. Shannon Estenoz, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Fish, Wildlife and National Parks, U.S. Department of the Interior
Construction Time-Lapse Video
April 24, 2021 – June 1, 2022
United States Army Band, Pershing’s Own. “Armed Forces Medley”
The Wall of Remembrance construction and Memorial renovation in three minutes.
Wall of Remembrance Dedication Ceremony
On July 27, 2022, the Wall of Remembrance became the permanent home to the names of over 36,000 American servicemen and 7,100 Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) who gave their lives defending the people of South Korea.
Speakers
- General (Ret.) John H Tilelli, Jr., U.S. Retired, Chairman of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation
- Mr. Doug Emhoff, 2nd Gentleman of the United States
- Mr. Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor of the United States
- Minister Min-Shik Park, Minister of Patriots & Veterans Affairs
- Minister Jong-sup Lee, ROK National Minister of National Defense
- His Excellency Taeyong Cho, ROK Ambassador to the United States
Wall of Remembrance Build & Memorial Restoration Progress
The names of those who lost their lives during the Korean War — the so-called “forgotten war” — will never be forgotten again. The Wall of Remembrance is a permanent…
Our Whiting Turner contractors were on site this week to view and test the recently installed lights at the Wall of Remembrance – rail lights along the WOR segment #1,…
PoR PLAZA: Sand set paver reinstallation continued for segments 1 & 3 in March. WoR panels 001 & 002 were completed on 3/2. Caulking for the WoR panels in segments…
Wall of Remembrance – First Panel Unveiling On March 8, 2022 General John Tilelli, Chairman and President of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation and Ambassador Lee, Soo-hyuck, Republic of…
PoR PLAZA: Sand set paver reinstallation in segments 3 & 2 are ongoing and will continue into March. Segment 1 sand set pavers install picked up on 2/16. The installation…
PoR PLAZA: Sand set paver reinstallation in segments 3 & 2 are ongoing and will continue into February. Segment 1 sand set pavers will begin in February. The installation of…
PoR PLAZA: Sand set paver reinstallation in segments 3 & 2 are ongoing and will continue into January. The last section of the plaza gutter in segment 1 was installed…
November 2021 Onsite Progress PoR PLAZA: Mortar set paver grouting (7’ radius from edge of pool) was completed 11/5. Sand set paver reinstallation (7’ to 32’) began on 11/10 in…
October 2021 Onsite Progress PoR PLAZA: WoR concrete slab: rebar and vapor barrier completed in early October form work is on going and all walls are scheduled to be completed…
PoR PLAZA: Segment 3 horizontal slab pour was completed on 9/7. WoR concrete slab base rebar was started in all segments on 9/14, the pours are scheduled for late October….
PoR PLAZA: The leaf collector piping coming out of the pool was completed on 7/19. Drip line irrigation sleeves began install in segment 1 of the plaza on 7/19. Underground…
PoR PLAZA: The sub-drainage piping and aggregate base installation which began on 5/24 was completed on 6/15. The planting soil in the plaza started on 6/15 and is scheduled to…
PoR PLAZA: Soil removal beneath the demolished slab and cutting and capping of existing utilities, which started in April, both completed on 5/7. Helical pile installation began on 5/10 and…
CONSTRUCTION BARRICADE: Construction barricades and fencing installation completed this month. Mesh fence with scrim barricade was completed on 4/7. The entrance gate was installed and completed on 4/8. Wooden barricades…
CONSTRUCTION BARRICADE: Wooden barricade will be completed by end of week 4/5. Mesh fence with scrim barricade installed with the exception of the construction entrance gate. This entrance gate is…