The exhibition opened at the Korean War Memorial Museum by the Presidential Directorate of Communications included Keribar's photographs taken in South Korea, where he came to do his military service in 1956.
In his speech at the event, Kim Hea Kyung said that he still remembers with great pleasure the sincerity and hospitality he received from First Lady Erdoğan in Ankara last year, and that he was happy to host them in Seoul today and continue the precious bond of friendship.
Recalling that photographer Izzet Keribar started photographing Korean people with a camera in 1956, when he was only 20 years old, Kim Hea Kyung said:
"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our valuable artist who recorded these images of our precious history and preserved them with great care for 70 years. Among these precious photographs, there is a frame that has a special place in my heart. The photo of Turkish soldiers extending their hands from the train window and a Korean boy extending his tiny hand towards them. We do not know whether those two hands are together. However, the excitement and satisfaction they feel for each other transcends the many years that have passed and comes to us today." has reached."
"THE SACRIFICES AND SERVICES OF KOREA VETERANS ARE IN MEMORY"
Recalling Keribar's photos of "little girls playing joyfully by jumping rope" and "boys praying with their hands folded at the table", Kim Hea Kyung said, "Those children, when they grew up, never forgot their friends who were with them in their most difficult times. They vividly kept alive in their memories the supreme sacrifices and unique services of Türkiye's Korean veterans, who rushed to help without hesitation for the peace of a distant country, even the names of which were foreign to them." he said.
Recalling the earthquake that occurred on February 6, 2023, centered in Kahramanmaraş, Kim Hea Kyung stated the following:
"During the great earthquake that occurred in Türkiye, our people wholeheartedly shared the pain of the Turkish people and rushed to help them without wasting any time, because our gratitude, which we express as the 'bond of brotherhood through blood', has been forever engraved in our hearts and minds. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the preparation of this meaningful exhibition, and I hope that these moments that we will share together today will be among the precious memories of the friendship between the two countries."
"I COULD NOT IMAGINE IT WOULD TURN INTO AN EXHIBITION"
Photographer İzzet Keribar stated that he had one of the most meaningful and emotional days of his life today and said, "Exactly 70 years ago, in 1956, when I was only 20 years old, I came to South Korea as a young reserve officer within the 7th Brigade of the Turkish army. My duty was as a translator. I could not have imagined that the photographs I took in those days would come 70 years later and turn into an exhibition in those lands." he said.
Explaining that the war had stopped when he came to Korea, but the wounds had not yet healed, Keribar said:
"Destroyed cities, people struggling to survive in difficult conditions, and the painful memories of the war were felt everywhere. Turkish soldiers showed great courage, sacrifice and heroism during the Korean War, and fought for the freedom and independence of a friendly nation thousands of kilometers away. Today, I commemorate our heroic martyrs who lost their lives for this cause with deep respect and gratitude. Likewise, the South Korean soldiers who fought with extraordinary courage and determination to defend their homeland, and the Korean people who managed to survive despite all the pain of the war, with great admiration." "I remember that the shoulder-to-shoulder struggle of Turkish and Korean soldiers created not only military solidarity between the two nations, but also an unshakable bond of brotherhood that will last for generations."
Explaining that the Korean War ended in 1953 and that he came to Korea in 1956, Keribar said that while he was serving in the Turkish Brigade for a year, he had the opportunity to capture not only military life with his camera, but also the daily life of the Korean people, their villages, children on the streets and their efforts to hold on to life again.
"Long live the Türkiye-KOREA FRIENDSHIP"
Keribar stated that the warmth of the Korean people and the love and respect they showed to the Turkish soldiers left indelible traces in his memory and said, "The South Korea that stands before me today has emerged from the poverty and destruction of those years and become one of the most developed and respected countries in the world. This extraordinary success is the best proof of the hard work, determination and love of the homeland of the Korean nation." he said.
Stating that 70 years have passed, that he has grown older, that Korea and the world have changed, Keribar said, "However, there are two things that have not changed, the brotherhood between the Turkish and Korean nations and the memories that the photographs keep alive. The photographs exhibited here today are not just images from the past. They are documents that testify to the common history of two friendly nations, the love of humanity and the value of peace." he said.
Keribar thanked the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, his Korean friends, and all institutions and organizations that contributed to the exhibition, and respectfully commemorated all the heroes who lost their lives on Korean soil.
Keribar wished that the friendship and brotherhood between the two countries would last forever and said, "Long live the Türkiye-Korea friendship." he said.
