Italy and South Korea mourn the passing of Giovanni (Gianni) Riboldi (on 24 November 2022).
Known to all as “Il Coreano“ (The Korean), he played a very important role during the first Italian peacekeeping mission abroad in the 1950s in Korea, where he served as a non-commissioned officer at the Italian Red Cross military field hospital number 68, sent by Italy during the Korean War.
His commitment was rewarded by the President of the Republic, the South Korean government and the Italian Red Cross, which awarded him the Gold Medal of Merit. In 2021 he also received the Interforce Decoration of Honour from the Chief of Defence Staff.
Gianni Riboldi was the last survivor of the Italian expedition that supported South Korea after the war in 1954, by sending a field hospital of the Italian Red Cross Military Corps.
