October 25 marked 76 years since the Chinese People's Volunteers entered the Korean War. Beijing marks it as the anniversary of the campaign to resist US aggression and aid Korea; Seoul sees it as one phase of the June 25 war, and Washington as part of a 'forgotten war'.
According to China News Service, a 76th-anniversary ceremony themed 'Remember the great victory, pass on the red gene' was held on October 25 at the Korean War Martyrs Cemetery in Shenyang, Liaoning. About 400 veterans and members of various sectors sang the national anthem, observed a moment of silence and laid a flower basket at the martyrs' monument. Veterans Nan Qixiang and Li Weibo recounted wartime stories, and children in red scarves recited the essay 'Who Are the Most Lovable People'.
광고 문의 · 300×250Xinhua also ran commemorative coverage and a poster the same day, with the message that the nation will not forget even after 76 years. Chinese state media present the day as honoring the troops who crossed the Yalu River in 1950. The Xinhua piece itself carried no figures on troop numbers or casualties.
How China remembers it
In the official Chinese narrative, the war was a just effort to protect the new republic's security and help Korea, and its spirit is a core theme of patriotic education. China News Service's description of the Shenyang event as a 'red education' lesson fits that context. Chinese authorities have long put volunteer losses through the 1953 armistice at about 197,000; this is a Chinese tally and is labeled as such here.
As this paper reported earlier, Kim Jong Un visited Dandong on October 24 and laid a wreath with CPPCC Chairman Wang Huning at the Volunteers' monument beside the war memorial hall. Such a joint ritual around the anniversary is read as both sides using shared history as a diplomatic message. What policy discussions the visit led to has not been confirmed.
Seoul's and Washington's views
In South Korea, the common understanding is that the war began with the North's invasion in June 1950, that Chinese intervention pushed the front back toward the 38th parallel, and that the armistice took three more years. Many South Koreans therefore dislike the term 'resisting America and aiding Korea', and Chinese commemorative wording has repeatedly sparked debate. Recently, however, both governments have tended to manage the issue by putting economic and people-to-people ties first rather than confronting it directly.
In the United States, the war is remembered for the more than 36,000 American service members who died as part of the UN Command, yet it draws less public attention than Vietnam or World War II, hence the 'forgotten war' label. US officials and scholars view China's entry as the decisive factor that prolonged the war, while Chinese scholars say the UN advance north threatened China's security. With responsibility and legitimacy read so differently, the three countries' memories are unlikely to converge soon.
