"How can this be? We must counterattack quickly." In August 1950, the 18th Regiment of the Capital Division, which was confronting the North Korean Army at Kigae-myeon, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, was full of sighs. For a month, the North Korean forces attacked the South Korean forces as far as Pohang. The North Korean Army, which was trying to occupy Busan, was stopped at the Nakdong River bridgehead. The 18th Regiment attacked the North Koreans who had withdrawn to Mt. Bihaksan several times, but all failed.

Upon hearing this news, the 3rd Battalion of the 17th Regiment decided to form a commando unit. "We need to select a commando force to occupy Bihaksan. Are there any applicants?" Most of the subordinate members, as well as the senior soldiers, avoided the eyes of the battalion commander. It was because he had already heard of the fierce battle of Bihaksan. Some many seconds have passed "I will support the spearhead of the assault operation." The military number '0151569' with a young face raised his hand and said this. He was Private Hong Jae-geun, who was hired as a rifleman after completing recruit training a few days ago.

On the 24th, Private Hong led a commando unit and raided the hiding place of the 776th guerrilla unit of the North Korean Army. He crawled to the automatic fire gun position where he only looked forward and fired. Grenade detonated and gunshots rang out. He approached the North Korean light machine gunner and assistant gunner and stabbed him in the side to subdue him. In an instant, North Korea's hideout was devastated. He set a goal of killing or capturing all 15 North Korean infantry squads.

He participated in the Battle of Jagyo-ri on the 29th of the following month and killed five enemy soldiers in a hand-to-hand battle with swords and bayonets. However, he was stabbed countless times by the oncoming enemy's guns swords and died on the spot. He was only 23 years old. His spirit of sacrifice and fighting was recognized by the government in July of the following year as the Taegeuk Martial Service, which belongs to the one-class special promotion and military service medals. Such an award to a private soldier was unusual.

Private Hong Jae-geun is from Bisan-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu. There he graduated from middle school, and enlisted in May 1950 voluntarily. With the outbreak of the Korean War, Private Hong did received training only for a month at the Jeju Island Training Center and was assigned to the 3rd Platoon, 9th Company, 3rd Battalion, 17th Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Although he was the eldest son of three brothers, he left his parents' worries behind and took up a gun for the country.

Republic of Korea Army First Class Hong Jae-geun, we call him the 'Hero of Bihaksan'.