Belgian Korean War Veteran Leon Bosquet to be Buried in Busan’s U.N. Memorial Cemetery

SEOUL, – A deceased Belgian veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War is set to be interred in the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan next month, according to Seoul’s veterans ministry on Thursday.

According to a new release by the Yonhap News Agency, Leon Bosquet, who passed away on February 4 at the age of 94 in Belgium, will have a burial ceremony on November 15 in Busan, located 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Bosquet had been deployed twice to Korea as part of Belgian forces supporting South Korea during the conflict and had communicated to his daughter his wish to be buried in the country.

His remains are scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport, just to the west of Seoul, this Friday. The ministry plans to hold a ceremony to mark the arrival. Subsequently, the remains will be temporarily housed at the Seoul National Cemetery in southern Seoul before their transfer to Busan for the final burial ceremony next month.

This occasion marks the first time a Belgian veteran will be laid to rest in the U.N. Memorial Cemetery, according to the ministry.

Belgium was one of the 22 nations that contributed troops or medical assistance to South Korea under the banner of the United Nations during the Korean War, which concluded in a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty. Ministry data indicates that Belgium dispatched 3,498 service members, 99 of whom were killed in action.

The U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan currently holds the remains of 2,320 troops.