Busan Metropolitan City has stepped forward to offer its support to Türkiye, which has been devastated by an unprecedented earthquake. Busan has donated $100,000 (approximately 126 million won) in relief aid to Turkey in an effort to help the country recover from the damage caused by the disaster. This act of generosity is seen as a symbol of Busan’s gratitude towards Türkiye for its deployment during the Korean War.
According to the city of Busan, Mayor Park Hyung-jun ordered the relief aid to be sent to Turkey the day before to ensure a speedy recovery from the damage and to support the victims who are going through a difficult time. The special bond between Busan and Türkiye dates back to the Korean War, where Turkey was one of the four countries that participated in the conflict. At that time, Türkiye responded promptly to South Korea’s request for help and was reportedly the fourth country to send troops after the United States and the United Kingdom. The city of Busan explained that Türkiye sent 21,212 soldiers to help Korea. The remains of 462 fallen soldiers are buried at the United Nations Memorial Park in Busan, which is said to hold a special connection to the city.
The friendship between Korea and Türkiye has been maintained even after the armistice was signed in 1953. In particular, Busan has maintained a sister city relationship with Istanbul since 2002. In response to the earthquake, Mayor Park expressed his support for the affected city and stated that Busan will stand in solidarity with the victims of the disaster to help the people of Türkiye who are going through a difficult time.
Mayor Park said, “I hope this relief money will provide some comfort to the victims of Türkiye who are suffering from difficulties. We will continue to work together to restore the damage as soon as possible.” The catastrophic earthquake struck in the early hours of June 6 and had a magnitude of 7.8. The quake resulted in many casualties, with some international media reporting that the death toll in both Turkey and Syria exceeded 10,000. If the death toll continues to rise, it will surpass the death toll of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, according to some analysts.
In conclusion, the city of Busan’s donation of $100,000 in relief aid to Türkiye highlights the strong bond between the two countries, which dates back to the Korean War. The act of generosity demonstrates Busan’s commitment to supporting Türkiye in its time of need and restoring the damage caused by the earthquake.
