UN Forces First Battle Monument | Attraction Guide

The New UN Forces First Battle Monument, established on April 6, 1982, was erected to honor the spirits of the Smith Special Mission Unit soldiers who died in the first battle fought between UN forces and North Korean troops during the Korean War. The monument symbolizes the first fortress defended by UN forces against the North Korean army through three high tower structures, with the battle scene of the Smith unit soldiers depicted in the center. Every year on July 5, a memorial ceremony is held to commemorate the significance of the Jukmiryeong battle and to honor the fallen soldiers. The Old UN Forces First Battle Monument, designated as a Gyeonggi-do registered cultural heritage, was originally located at Hill 99 across National Road 1, where one platoon of Infantry B Company was positioned during the Osan Jukmiryeong battle. In 2019, as part of the Peace Park development project, it was relocated to its current location, with the foundation newly made during the move. After the Jukmiryeong battle on July 5, 1950, in 1995, Smith unit soldiers returned and, together with local leaders, piled 540 stones to build it. Until the 1990s, it was commonly called the UN Tower among Osan residents.