Duluth, July 20, 2026 — The American Korean Friendship Society (AKFS) will mark the 73rd anniversary of the Korean War Armistice with a memorial ceremony and its 30th year of highway billboard advertisements thanking U.S. service members for their sacrifice.
The ceremony is set for 10:30 a.m. July 24 at the Payne-Corley House in Duluth. Expected attendees include Korean War veterans, representatives from the Republic of Korea Consulate General in Atlanta, the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, the commander of the Georgia National Guard, members of the Korea Defense Veterans Association and the Federation of Korean Associations of the Southeast USA, and a former commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command who serves as an AKFS director. Wreaths will be presented in tribute.
The Korean War, fought from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, left 36,568 U.S. service members dead and 103,284 wounded, according to the organization. AKFS says that sacrifice helped preserve freedom for roughly 50 million people in South Korea.
Since 1996, AKFS has funded billboard ads in major U.S. cities thanking American veterans for their service in Korea. This year, with sponsorship from Hyundai Motor Group, the campaign will expand to six cities — Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles — starting July 20 and running two to four weeks depending on location.
AKFS President Sunny Park, who has personally funded the ads since 1996, said Hyundai’s sponsorship will roughly double the campaign’s reach, with an estimated 1.5 million vehicles passing the billboards daily on U.S. highways.
AKFS Chairman Frank Blake said South Korea’s postwar transformation into one of the world’s leading economies stands as a model for developing nations and reflects the country’s alliance with the United States. “Koreans remember that America’s blood and love were part of Korea’s success,” Blake said. “Although it is often called the ‘Forgotten War,’ no Korean has forgotten this war or the sacrifice of U.S. forces.”
For more information is available at www.USKorea.org.
