It was May of 1951. Facing the People’s Volunteer Army’s first spring offensive, possession of Mount Yongmoon near Yangpyong in Gyeonggi Province was crucial for South Korea since it connected the ROK Army’s western and central fronts.
Mount Yongmoon, known for its steep trails and with peaks rising to over 700m clustered around a central 1157m summit, is situated northeast of Yangpyong. It forms a natural stronghold of sorts, with the Bukhan and Namhan rivers surrounding it. For the ROK army it was vital territory that was not to be easily surrendered, for its value as both the ROK’s northernmost frontline and a crucial defensive bastion.
The ROK Army 6th Division was attempting to hold the area against three Chinese divisions. The 3rd Battalion of its 2nd Regiment was strategically located on Hill 353 near Changeui-li, and from there they alone fought a force that was the numerical equivalent of two battalions.
Despite the odds, overall the South Korean forces successfully thwarted a 20,000-strong Chinese force comprising three divisions derived from its 63rd Corps over a period of four days from the 17th to the 21st of May in the so-called “Battle of Mount Yongmoon”, but not without tremendous difficulty.
The Chinese 63rd Corps, aware of the area’s strategic significance, escalated the attack that it launched on the 17th of May, deploying another battalion-sized force the next day for a full frontal offensive and carrying the battle on into the night. The concerted efforts of the Chinese 187th and 188th Divisions were not enough to force the ROK side out of its stronghold, though.
So, with the 3rd Battalion holding on strongly through to the 19th of May, the enemy once again employed the main forces of the 187th and 188th Divisions for another concentrated attack, starting from 6 a.m. Chaos continued throughout the day, but the ROK side again refused to surrender the base. The Chinese responded by deploying the 189th Division, and the battle rose to its peak.
It was then that the ROK’s communications equipment, hit by enemy fire, started to malfunction. The fixed wire telephone connection that had been installed between the battalions and the regiment had also been cut off in the attacks.
The ROK 3rd Battalion continued to fight against the encroaching enemy despite having lost its means of communication. The regiment started to panic though as it was unable to get hold of the 3rd Battalion. Commanding the battle became an impossible task as the commanders could no longer track the situation on the ground.
Repairing the connection was no easy task. Not only was the connection thought to have been severed at least four or five kilometers from regimental headquarters, but it was also near Hill 353, where the Chinese had taken three of the four sides and were surrounding the ROK forces amidst a fierce battle.
Faced with this huge problem, the signal commander called in all his communications engineers. After explaining the situation, he announced that he was looking for volunteers, to reconnect the severed wires, potentially entering enemy territory to do so.
Eventually, First Sergeant Lee Chun Gil and Staff Sergeant Noh Seung Ho accepted the mission.
‘We will carry out our duty, even if it means death!’
The two sergeants, following the wire, headed towards Hill 353 carrying a heavy burden; the fate of the 3rd battalion.
They had often heard stories of other soldiers, tasked with repairing severed connections, getting caught in enemy ambushes and killed, but were undeterred by it as death was already off their list of concerns. As they approached Hill 353, where a fierce overnight battle was in train, the sound of gunfire and artillery started to press in upon them.
With enemy fire becoming more and more intense, the two sergeants crawled forward with replacement wire in hand. Upon arrival, however, they were unable to locate the damaged wire.
“First Sergeant Lee, what can we do from here? If we go any further, we’ll be inside enemy territory,” Sergeant Noh pointed out.
“Whether it’s enemy territory or not, we will locate the damage, to complete our mission.” First Sergeant Lee continued to crawl forward, leading the way.
Eventually, they found the severed wire. It was almost inside enemy territory. “Let’s hurry up; we’ve no time to spare before the enemy comes!” First Sergeant Lee told Sergeant Noh to grab one end of the wire, as he himself searched around to find the other broken end. After searching for some time, he located it.
Once communications were reestablished, First Sergeant Lee made a test call to the regiment. A confirmation signal was received moments later. First Sergeant Lee’s voice went down the line. “This is First Sergeant Lee. We have located the damage, and repaired the connection.”
The regiment, able to reconnect with the struggling 3rd Battalion, quickly evaluated the situation on Hill 353, and called upon the 2nd Regiment’s 1st Battalion, then defending the region of Mount Na, to support the isolated 3rd Battalion. The 3rd Battalion, which had been fighting in extreme conditions and without resupply, was reinforced at last.
The two signal support system specialists, who saved the lives of their fellow comrades and paved the way for the ROK Army to retain a strategic advantage, risked their own lives in order to do their duty. For their bravery, each received the “Chungmu” Order of Military Merit and a much-deserved honorary promotion.
