Selected as the First ‘Korean War Hero of the Month’

So many soldiers were sacrificed during the Korean War, the most tragic event in Korean history. The war claimed the lives of 58,127 South Korean soldiers and injured 175,743 others, with 172,400 missing. 628,833 U.N. troops were killed and 1,064,453 were wounded, while 470,267 went missing during the war.

Without the ‘Battle of Chuncheon,’ however, the war would have produced even more victims. The battle took place on June 25th, 1950, the day when the Korean War broke out. This battle allowed South Korean forces to prevent more North Korean troops from joining the war by delaying the collapse of the eastern front as long as possible, and therefore, the battled managed to help South Korean and U.N. forces buy time for a counterattack.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has announced a ‘Korean War Hero of the Month’ each month since 2011 to mark the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. Major Shim Il, the hero of this pivotal battle in the central and eastern front, became the first figure to win the honorable title.

Stop North Korean Forces’ Advance

Born in 1923 in Dancheon(단천), South Hamgyeong Province, Shim Il entered the Korean Military Academy while he was attending the College of Education at Seoul National University. He was commissioned in May of 1949.

When the Korean War broke out in 1950, Second Lieutenant Shim Il served the Anti-Tank Artillery Unit of the 7th Regiment, 6th Division of the South Korean Army as the second platoon leader. On the day of the battle, he confronted the 2nd Division under the 2nd Corps of the North Korean Army, which was entrusted with a mission to occupy Chuncheon.

North Korean forces tried to seize the hills south of the Mojin Bridge in Chuncheon in order to destroy the defense line linking Hwacheon and Chuncheon. South Korean forces tried very hard to defend against the North Koreans’ heavy shelling. Unfortunately, they failed to block the enemy’s attack in the Mojin Bridge area due to inadequate troops, equipment and ammunition. The forward unit of the South Korean forces had to retreat to the main defense line.

At the time, Shim was deploying two 57 mm anti-tank guns at Gomnaruteo(곰나루터), a point of strategic importance along the North Han River. At 7 in the morning when he saw ten North Korean tanks, he ordered his men to fire.

The anti-tank guns scored a direct hit on the North Korean self-propelled artillery in the lead, but the enemy didn’t budge an inch and continued marching southward. Inevitably, Shim had to retreat to Oksanpo(옥산포), north of Chuncheon, to rearrange his platoon. At 2 in the afternoon, the North Korean self-propelled guns surged into Oksanpo. When they were 100 meters up ahead, the South Korean troops fired at them again. But this time, too, South Koreans failed to destroy the North Korean artillery.

It seemed that South Korea’s fate hung by a thread. To defend his country, Shim made a grim resolve.

Destroying Enemy Tanks with Human Bullet Attack

Shim concluded that only a flank attack through hand-to-hand combat would stop the North Korean troops who were pouring into Soyang River amid foggy gun smoke. He organized a five-man commando unit. Led by Shim, the five commandos armed with grenades and Molotov cocktails waited in ambush.

When the enemy’s artillery approached, they quickly climbed up to the gun turrets and threw the grenades and firebombs to destroy three North Korean self-propelled guns. In an instant, the guns were wrapped in flames. The North Koreans were taken aback, and changed their direction to escape northward.

Shim’s commando operation thwarted North Korea’s plan to capture Chuncheon on the day of attack on June 25th, 1950. It played a big role in defending Chuncheon for two days and proved greatly helpful for South Korean forces to form a line of defense along the Han River. It also contributed to buying time for U.N. troops to join the war.

The news of the victory quickly spread to the entire South Korean military and helped it shake off fear of North Korean tanks and self-propelled guns. Following the Battle of Chuncheon, more South Korean soldiers bravely threw themselves at North Korean tanks and artillery.

The Hero’s Tale has Passed into History

Afterwards, Shim made brilliant achievements in other battles. Unfortunately, on January 26th, 1951, when he was 28 he was shot dead while investigating the enemy’s movements as the reconnaissance company commander of the 7th Division during a battle in Youngwol, Gangwon Province.. Shim contributed to incapacitating North Korea’s ‘three-day operation’ and leading South Korean forces to their first victory in the initial stage of the Korean War. Later, he was given the Order of Military Merit Taegeuk, becoming the first recipient of the order as a company-grade officer. Also, he was specially promoted one rank subsequently.

A commemorative event marking the ‘Battle of Chuncheon’ was held last year to reenact the commando operation of Major Shim and the five commandos, who fought the enemy tanks with bare fists to become war heroes.