"Korea Is My Second Homeland"... French Korean War Veteran Laid to Rest in Busan

The late Serge Gabriel Archambault, a French veteran of the Korean War who often called South Korea his "second homeland," has been laid to rest alongside his comrades in Busan, fulfilling his dying wish.

The burial ceremony for Archambault took place at 2 p.m. today at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Nam-gu, Busan.

The ceremony proceeded in the following order: the opening, commemorative addresses, a blessing of the remains, burial and tossing of soil, laying of flowers, a moment of silence, and remarks from the bereaved family.

Archambault enlisted in the French military at the age of 18 and fought in the First Indochina War before volunteering to serve in the Korean War on August 29, 1951.

Serving in Korea from 1951 to 1952, he fought in key battles such as the Iron Triangle and the T-Bone Hill battle west of Cheorwon.


The Embassy of France in South Korea and the UN Memorial Cemetery management office shared that Archambault could never forget the moment in February 1952 when Chinese artillery fire killed the comrades standing directly in front of and behind him, leaving him as the sole survivor.

Having endured fierce combat and spending 15 days in a trench surrounded by the bodies of comrades and enemy soldiers, the experience remained a lifelong trauma for him.

Even after the fighting stopped and he returned to France, his memories of his fallen comrades endured.

Archambault actively participated in the French Korean War Veterans Association starting in the 1980s.

He later attended various commemorative events as a flagbearer, continuing his efforts to honor and remember the sacrifices and dedication of his comrades.

During his lifetime, he repeatedly expressed profound affection for South Korea and made it known that he wished to be buried at the UN Memorial Cemetery, where his fellow soldiers who died in the Korean War rest.

Regarding his wish to be buried in Korea despite his family living in France, he reportedly stated, "Because Korea is a very special second homeland to me."

He was known to have specifically mentioned the names of comrades already interred at the UN Memorial Cemetery—such as Raymond Bénard, André Valleval, and Robert Pignant—expressing his desire to rest by their side.

With Archambault's interment, a total of 2,341 UN veterans from 14 countries now rest at the UN Memorial Cemetery.

Among them, 50 are French veterans.

(Photo provided by the UN Memorial Cemetery management office, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.