Dozens of British war veterans and their families will visit South Korea next week in a symbolic event, as many South Koreans still remember the international community's help in its fight against the invading communist North in the 1950s, the state veterans' service here said Thursday.

Seoul's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has invited a total of 85 veterans, who took part in the 1950-53 war, and their families from Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand for a six-day trip starting Monday to honor their service and sacrifice.

They will pay tribute to fallen comrades and travel to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) bisecting the Korean Peninsula, according to the ministry.

During their stay here, William Speakman, one of the veterans, also plans to donate the 10 medals he earned for his service in Korea, including the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valor against enemies to members of the armed forces of Commonwealth countries.

"He was among the four Korean War soldiers who got the honor, and now he is the only survivor," the MPVA official said. "He said the donation is a token of his love to South Korea, a country he was trying to protect at the risk of his own life."

The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, when North Korean troops, backed by the Soviet Union, invaded the South. The United States and 20 other allied countries fought on the side of South Korea under the United Nations flag, while China helped North Korea. It ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically in a state of war.

Since its launch in 1975, the ministry has brought about 30,000 veterans of U.N. forces and their families back to South Korea to thank them for their sacrifice and help them experience the nation's economic development and growth. (Yonhap)