French Korean War veteran’s remains to be laid to rest in Busan

The remains of a French veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War will be brought to Korea on Tuesday and buried at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan this weekend, fulfilling his wish that he be laid to rest in the country he fought for, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said Monday.

Serge Archambeau, who died on June 5 at the age of 96, volunteered for the war and served as a bazooka gunner with the 3rd Company of the French Battalion, part of the United Nations forces, from October 1951 to September 1952. He fought in some of the war’s fiercest battles, including the so-called Battle of T-Bone Hill and the Battle of the Iron Triangle, and received the Cross for Military Valour with bronze star and other French honors.

His remains will arrive at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2 on Tuesday. Roger Quintard, secretary-general of a French veterans’ association and executor of Archambeau’s will, will accompany them because the veteran’s family is unable to travel for health reasons.

A ceremony marking the arrival of the remains will begin at 12:20 p.m. A Ministry of National Defense honor guard will escort the remains to a hearse.

Attendees will include Michel Miraillet, the French charge d’affaires in Seoul. Also attending will be Roland Monclar, son of Gen. Ralph Monclar, who voluntarily took a demotion from lieutenant general to lieutenant colonel so he could lead the French battalion in Korea.

The burial, hosted by the French Embassy, will take place Saturday at 2 p.m. Vice Minister Kang Yun-jin and crew members of the French Navy frigate Vendemiaire will attend.

“Today’s Korea exists thanks to the dedication of the U.N. veterans who fought at the cost of their lives in the brightest years of their youth,” Minister Kwon Oh-eul said. He noted that the burial falls in the year marking 140 years of diplomatic ties between Korea and France.

Archambeau will be the 39th U.N. veteran buried at the cemetery since 2015.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.