National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, observed on Tuesday, July 27, 2027, marks the cease-fire signed on July 27, 1953. It honors the Americans and allies who served in Korea and remembers those who never came home.
July 27 and the Law Behind It
Congress set the date in a law signed on July 27, 1995. Today it sits in federal law at 36 U.S.C. 127.
The law asks the President to call for observances “with appropriate ceremonies and activities.” It also asks agencies to fly the flag at half-staff.
Its text named the years through 2003, yet presidents have kept marking the day, including in 2024 and 2025. It is a national observance, not a federal holiday.
Three Years of War, Then a Cease-Fire
Fighting began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel, a 2025 presidential message recalls. Nearly 2 million Americans were sent to the war, often called the “Forgotten War.” It came just 5 years after World War II ended.
U.S. troops fought North Korean and Chinese forces at places like Heartbreak Ridge, Pork Chop Hill and the Chosin Reservoir. They endured frigid winters and oppressive heat.
Census Bureau figures put the deployment at 1.8 million in Korea, out of 3.6 million Americans in uniform during the period. Combat lasted about 38 months.
On July 27, 1953, representatives of the United States, China and North Korea signed the Korean Armistice Agreement. It set a cease-fire at Panmunjom and allowed prisoner exchanges. No peace treaty followed, and a demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel still separates North and South Korea.
The cost
Losses were heavy. All told, 36,574 Americans died in the theater of war, the Census Bureau notes. More than 32,000 died in combat, and nearly 93,000 were wounded. A stone curb at the national memorial lists 8,177 Americans missing and 7,140 captured.
Allies paid a price as well. South Korean soldiers served inside U.S. Army units through the KATUSA program, short for Korean Augmentation to the United States Army. More than 7,000 of them were killed.
Remembering Those Who Served
Each year, fewer veterans of the war remain. About 1.2 million were alive in 2019, down roughly 80% from the 5.7 million who served worldwide during the era.
In 2022, the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington added a Wall of Remembrance, dedicated on July 27. It lists 36,574 American service members and 7,114 KATUSA soldiers who died, arranged alphabetically by rank within each branch. Nearby, the words “Freedom is Not Free” are inlaid in silver, the National Park Service notes.
At the memorial, a field of statues points into a circular pool, meant to mirror how the Korean Peninsula juts into the sea.
A 2024 proclamation put the lesson plainly: “freedom is never guaranteed—one has to fight for it and defend it.”
How to Observe the Day
- Fly your flag at half-staff on July 27, as federal agencies are asked to do.
- Thank a Korean War veteran in your family or community.
- Ask a veteran to share memories, and record them for the family.
- Visit the Wall of Remembrance at 1100 Ohio Drive SW in Washington, D.C.
- Attend a ceremony held by a local veterans’ group.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Korean American VALOR Act?
It gives Korean veterans who fought alongside American troops, and who are now U.S. citizens, access to VA health care.
What surrounds the Pool of Remembrance?
Nine benches and 40 Linden trees ring the pool, which is 128 feet across.
Did the Korean War officially end?
Not formally. A cease-fire halted combat, but no peace settlement has ever been reached.
Sources
- U.S. Code – 36 U.S.C. 127, National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day
- U.S. Census Bureau – National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day
- National Park Service – Wall and Pool of Remembrance
- The American Presidency Project – Proclamation 10788 (2024)
- GovInfo – Presidential Message on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day (2025)