On the 25th, ahead of the 11th West Sea Defense Day, a message honoring the 55 heroes of the West Sea defense is displayed on the Dream-engraving Board on the outer wall of the Seoul Metropolitan Library. West Sea Defense Day is observed on the fourth Friday of March, which falls on the 27th this year. It was established in 2016 to honor the service members who sacrificed their lives in the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong in 2002, the ROKS Cheonan sinking, and the Yeonpyeong Island shelling, which occurred in the same year. [Yonhap News]The Navy announced that it held a ceremony on the 29th at the 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek to mark the 24th anniversary of the victory in the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-baek, Chief of Naval Operations Kim Kyung-ryul, bereaved family members including Seo Young-seok, head of the families' association and father of the late Petty Officer First Class Seo Hu-won, and former Vice Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Lee Hee-wan, who participated in the battle as the executive officer of the Chamsuri-357.

In his commemorative address, Minister Ahn stated, "The waves will continue to crash upon the West Sea," adding, "Whenever we face rough seas, we will deeply cherish the sacrifice and dedication of the six heroes and face and overcome these challenges with pride."

He further emphasized, "Building a strong military trusted by the people is the mission of all of us living today," and added, "Our military will continue to safeguard the Republic of Korea without wavering, based on a perfect readiness posture."

Seo Young-seok, head of the bereaved families' association, stressed, "Our six heroes who fell in the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, along with their comrades, were true soldiers who stood firmly against enemy provocations with the honor and pride of the Republic of Korea Navy, demonstrating a resolute will that overcame all fear."

The Second Battle of Yeonpyeong occurred on the morning of June 29, 2002, while the entire nation's attention was focused on the third-place match of the Korea-Japan World Cup, when two North Korean patrol boats violated the Northern Limit Line (NLL) near Yeonpyeong Island and launched a surprise attack on the Navy 2nd Fleet's high-speed boat, the Chamsuri-357.

Although the Navy successfully suppressed the North Korean patrol boats, the battle resulted in the deaths of Lieutenant Commander Yoon Young-ha, the commanding officer of the Chamsuri-357, Petty Officer First Class Han Sang-guk, the helmsman, Petty Officer First Class Jo Cheon-hyung, the gunner, and Petty Officers Second Class Hwang Do-hyun and Seo Hu-won. Medic Park Dong-hyuk, who was seriously wounded, passed away 83 days later on September 20.

The Navy honors the patriotic spirit of the six heroes of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong by naming its 450-ton guided-missile patrol vessels after them.