Around 75 years ago, a friendly arm-wrestling match between US and Korean troops stationed near the Cheorwon front sparked a friendship between the late Kim Jinho and an American soldier. The two men met in the final round. Cheering erupted when Kim Jinho finally bested the American.
From that moment on, the their bond was sealed. Although the identity of the American veteran has been lost to time, nearly four decades later, Kim Jinho’s son, Kim Byeong-yeon, is rekindling the search to honor the bond neither veteran forgot. This is where we need your help to uncover the American veteran's identity.
Our primary clue to the American veteran's identity is that he returned to South Korea in the late 1970s to work on the Kori 1 Nuclear Power Plant project as part of Westinghouse Electric’s team, where he served in a leadership role such as a senior advisor or plant manager.
Please read Kim Byeong-yeon's heartfelt letter below, and contact with tips and ideas!
My name is Kim Byeong-yeon, and I am the son of the late Sergeant First Class (ROK Army) Kim Jinho (김진호), who served on the front lines in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, during the Korean War.
I am writing with a heartfelt request for your assistance in identifying an American serviceman who became my father's close friend during the war.
According to my father's stories, he and an American serviceman developed a lasting friendship while serving near Cheorwon. One of their cherished memories was a friendly arm-wrestling match, which marked the beginning of a bond that survived the hardships of war.
Nearly thirty years later, around 1977–1978, this American returned to Korea after being assigned by Westinghouse to the Kori Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, where he served as the plant's first manager, chief executive, or senior advisor during its initial operation.
After arriving in Korea, he began searching for my father, Mr. Jinho Kim. I understand that he contacted Korean authorities and even placed notices in local newspapers in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk region, including Maeil Shinmun and Yeongnam Ilbo, in an effort to find him.
His efforts were successful, and the two wartime friends were joyfully reunited after almost thirty years apart. My father and my elder brother were later invited to visit the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, where they spent precious time together with their American friend.
Today, both my father and his American friend have passed away.
I hope to continue the friendship that began on the battlefield more than seventy-five years ago. My sincere wish is to locate the family of this American serviceman so that we may share the remarkable story of friendship between our fathers and honor the enduring spirit of the U.S.–Republic of Korea alliance.
I respectfully request your assistance in determining:
This is more than a search for a name. It is an effort to preserve a story of friendship born during the Korean War and reflects the human foundation of the alliance between South Korea and the United States.
Although both men are no longer with us, I sincerely hope that the friendship they built can continue through their children and future generations.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
With deepest respect,
Kim Byeong-yeon
Son of the late Sergeant First Class (ROK Army) Kim Jinho
[This text has been translated from Korean]