Two French veterans of the Korean War were laid to rest on Wednesday in South Korea, their ashes buried alongside fallen soldiers who had fought with them more than seven decades ago.
Warrant Officer Jacques Grisolet and Corporal Andre Datcharry, who died recently in France, were among 37 foreign veterans of the 1950-53 war who have since chosen to be buried at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan.
The world's only UN cemetery, located in the heart of South Korea's second city, holds the remains of more than 2,300 soldiers from 14 nations.
"We are very happy that dad chose to have his ashes interred in this magnificent international cemetery. It was meaningful for him," Grisolet's daughter, Elisabeth Magrou, told AFP.
The children of both veterans -- members of the French UN battalion formed in 1950 to help counter North Korean forces -- attended the military ceremony in the vast burial ground.
Magrou said that now, her late father "will never be alone. He will rest in peace on Korean soil, in this incredible country that he loved."
Patrick Beaudouin, a French former lawmaker who heads a national association of UN veterans, told AFP that many former soldiers felt a deep connection to Korea.
The sight of war refugees "reminded them of what they had themselves lived through in their youth, when France was occupied in 1940", he said.
Many who fought and were wounded during the war -- as Datcharry was twice -- "left a part of their soul... here in Korea", Beaudouin said.
"That is why they wanted to return and rest here forever."
Since the war ended, ties between South Korea and France have remained close. Many foreign veterans have visited numerous times, watching the Asian country transform in just a few decades into a global economic power.
"When they first saw Korea 76 years ago, it was a land reduced to ashes, marred by the horrors of war and the utter misery of its people. However, when they returned decades later, they witnessed a thriving democracy and an economic powerhouse," said Stephanie Hwang, spokeswoman for the UN cemetery in Busan.
"Knowing that their sacrifices laid the very foundation for Korea's development and prosperity brings them an immeasurable sense of pride."
A total of 269 French troops died while fighting in Korea. According to Beaudouin, 17 French veterans of the war are still alive.
