03. Chungryeol Tower

Chuncheon was a fierce battlefield in the early days of the Korean War. It is called the Chuncheon Battle. it also played a large role enough to change the situation of the war.

 

North Korea's Kim Il-sung, who started the war, received military support from the Soviet Union and China. Then, before the international community intervened, it planned to end the war quickly.

 

At that time, the core of the North Korean military operation plan was to enter Seoul through northern Gyeonggi-do. In addition, troops entering through the Chuncheon area built a huge siege outside Seoul to annihilate the Korean army. At that time, the North Korean military had an advantage over the South Korean military.

 

However, the plan will fail due to strong resistance from Korean troops and citizens stationed in Chuncheon. In particular, students and workers jumped directly into the battle, helping the Korean military carry ammunition. In the whirlwind of war, the status of soldiers and civilians was meaningless, and the firm resolution to protect the country became one.

 

In the early days of the war, the South Korean military retreated without properly responding to the North Korean attack. However, despite the overall inferiority in the Chuncheon area, the ROK military built a defense line using the topography and endured for more than three days.

 

The battle in Chuncheon made it difficult for North Korean troops to surround Seoul. It also gave the ROK military time to reorganize and prepare for the war.

 

In the early days of the war, Chuncheon's three days were the "Golden Time" of the Korean War. Therefore, the Battle of Chuncheon is remembered as one of the three major battles in the early days of the Korean War, along with the Incheon Landing Operation and the Battle of the Nakdonggang River.

 

 

 

In order to remember the meaning of this victory, a monument was built on Udusan Mountain, which was the center of the Battle of Chuncheon.

 

 

Udusan Mountain is a low mountain 134m above sea level that looks like a thick sweet potato-shaped peninsula. It is very important in terms of military. Udusan Mountain was the outpost that prevented North Korean troops from entering Chuncheon.

 

Every year on Memorial Day on June 6th, an event is held here to commemorate those who sacrificed for their country.

 

lower the rank by himself from the general to the lieutenant colonel

On the Chungnyeol Tower in Udusan Mountain, a monument to the French military's participation during the Korean War is erected. At that time, the commander of the French battalion was Ralph Montclark (1892-1964).

 

General Montclar voluntarily recruited more than 600 French soldiers and participated in the Korean War, saying, "I will protect the freedom of the Korean Peninsula."

 

Although he was a former three-star general, he demoted his rank to Lieutenant Colonel by himself in accordance with French military rules that "the battalion forces are led by Lieutenant Colonel."

 

General Montclar, along with the U.S. military, led the victory in February 1951 after a battle against 30,000 Chinese troops in Jipyeong-ri, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. The Battle of Jipyeong-ri, led by General Moncler, is said to have changed the situation of the Korean War.