Hangang Defense Baekgol Unit Monument

The Battle of the Han River Defense Line was a battle from June 28 to July 4 in the early stages of the Korean War, where three divisions of the Republic of Korea Army established a defense line along the Han River to block the North Korean army's attack. At that time, the 18th Infantry Regiment (Baekgol Unit), stationed in Samgakji, Seoul, deployed its 2nd and 3rd battalions to the Dongducheon area and its 1st battalion to the Samgakji area upon the outbreak of the Korean War. However, when the Han River Bridge was blown up at dawn on June 28, the command structure of the 1st battalion was disrupted. Then, Captain Kim Sang-deok, commander of the 3rd Company, established a position in Samgakji and fought a street battle. However, due to numerical inferiority, they moved to the Yeongdeungpo area, established positions on the Han River defense line, and conducted combat. Despite poor equipment and manpower, the 18th Infantry Regiment engaged in close combat with the North Korean army and defended Yeongdeungpo alone for seven days. The success of the Han River defense operation allowed the ROK Army to recover from early war damage, reorganize equipment and troops, and secure time for the U.S. ground forces to join the war, laying the foundation for a counterattack. To commemorate the sacrifice and contribution of the Baekgol Unit soldiers, the Baekgol Veterans Association erected this monument on October 1, 2003, over 50 years later, in Yanghwa Artificial Waterfall Park. However, with the construction of the World Cup Bridge, it was relocated in June 2020 to this site, which was defended by the Baekgol Unit soldiers during the Korean War.

Address: Near Exit 2 of Yeouinaru Station, Yeouidong-ro Jiha 343 (Yeouido-dong), Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul