Selected families to be honored at October ceremony
Gyeonggi Province has selected 15 families — including descendants of student soldiers who fought in the Korean War — as its "2026 Gyeonggi Province Model Military-Service Households."
The program was established to honor families that have faithfully fulfilled their military obligations across generations, recognizing those whose exceptional service records and contributions to their communities set an example for provincial residents.
A selection committee reviewed 82 applicant families drawn from 2,580 registered military-service households in the province and chose 15 finalists, the province said Monday.
The selected families demonstrated exemplary records across a range of areas, including multigenerational military service, participation in major wars, national merit citations, service in special forces and frontline units, donations of historical records to the state, and community volunteer work.
Among the most notable is the Kim Jae-ju family. The first generation, Kim Gap-sin, served as a student soldier during the Korean War. The second generation, Kim Jae-ju, served in the Marine Corps for more than 30 years, was recognized as a person of national merit and received the Order of National Security Service. The third generation — Kim Min-ho, Kim Seon-ho and Kim Gyeong-ho — all volunteered for the Marine Corps, carrying on the family's tradition of military service across three generations.
The Lee Ju-sang family is descended from independence activist Seokju Lee Sang-ryong and earned high marks for carrying forward a spirit of patriotic sacrifice across generations, including a family member who died in combat during the Korean War.
The first generation, Lee Gyeong-dae, served in the Army. The second generation — Lee Seok-jae, Lee Seok-hun and Lee Seok-jin — served in the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division (the Maengho Unit), the Special Warfare Command and the Correctional Service, respectively. In the third generation, Lee Ho-sang served in the Army's 27th Infantry Division operating and maintaining generators, while Lee Ju-sang served at the Special Warfare School under the Special Warfare Command handling parachute maintenance — each fulfilling their duty and continuing the family's legacy of national service.
In the Kim Ho-gyeong family, the first generation, Kim Seong-su, fought with the 8240 Unit guerrilla force during the Korean War. The second generation saw Kim Han-gyeong serve 32 months as an Army corporal, Kim Il-u serve 26 months as an Army sergeant and Kim Ho-gyeong serve 27 months as an Army sergeant. Kim Ho-gyeong also donated to the state a copy of a draft Korean War truce document he had kept in his possession, contributing to the preservation of historical records. The third generation continued the tradition, with Kim Dae-u serving 20 months and Kim Min-u serving 18 months, both as Army sergeants.
Gyeonggi Province will notify each selected family individually and plans to hold a ceremony in October to present them with plaques of appreciation.
Jo Gwang-geun, the province's emergency planning officer, said the families were chosen not only for their multigenerational tradition of defending the country but also for their commitment to community service and giving. "We will continue to honor families that have faithfully fulfilled their military obligations, so that they can take pride in their service and so that the value of their dedication becomes widely known to residents of the province," he said.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
