KOREA FOUNDATION

“Blood Brotherhood” of Colombia and Korea

The relationship between Colombia and Korea is often referred to as “blood brotherhood,” “brother and sister relations,” or a time-honored friendship. It is a relationship in which each party shares a sense of emotional closeness and affinity. Both countries have populations of about 50 million people and share many other common characteristics, including a history of being occupied by foreign powers and having family-oriented cultures.

At the time of the Korean War (1950–53), Colombia dispatched combat troops to Korea, becoming the only country from Central and South America to form part of the United Nations Command.

In Bogota, Colombia’s capital, stands a 12-meter-tall pagoda. It is modeled after Korea’s National Treasure No. 21, the Seokga, a three-storied stone pagoda at Bulguksa, a UNESCO World Heritage temple in Gyeongju. This monument commemorating Colombia’s participation in the Korean War was donated by the Korean government in 1973 and is engraved with the names of 213 Colombian soldiers killed during the war. At Incheon’s Gyeongmyeong Park, also known as Colombia Park, stands a monument dedicated to Colombian forces that took part in the Korean War. This memorial was moved to Gyeongmyeong Park in July 2018, after the original Colombia Park was included in a re-development project. It was first erected in 1975 to commemorate the numerous Colombian forces who died or were wounded during the Battle of Bulmo Hill.

Colombia and the Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations in March 1962. Since then, the two countries’ bilateral ties have been continuously strengthened in a wide variety of fields, including the upgrading to a strategic cooperative partnership in 2011.

ColombiaBlood BrotherhoodKorean WarBogotaGyeongmyeong ParkBattle of Bulmo Hill