The lunch was organised by the Dunedin Korean Society and commemorated the start of the Korean War on June 25, 1950.
Korean War veteran Ken Wright, of Christchurch, said he was glad he made it to the lunch after a recent hospital procedure and it was wonderful to see his fellow service members and their families gathered together.
Opportunities to meet fellow veterans were precious these days as the number of surviving soldiers dwindled.
New Zealand was one of 16 nations to offer military support to the United Nations-led campaign on the Korean peninsula, providing troops, artillery and ships.
Dunedin Korean Society president Euija Kim said her organisation had been running the event annually since 1995.
At first more than 60 veterans attended the lunches, but now there were only four southern Kayforce soldiers remaining.
The lunch was supposed to be attended by representatives of the Korean Embassy, but fog at the airport meant they had been diverted to Christchurch.
Attendees were treated to the first public performance by traditional Korean music group Han Sarang, including a rendition of Pokarekare Ana.
Group gayageum player Hyunah Cho said the song was very popular in Korea, having been introduced to the country by New Zealand soldiers during the war.
"When I was young I thought that Pokarekare Ana was a Korean song, but when I came [to New Zealand], I realised it was a Maori song."
