What is Don't Forget the Battle of Yultong?

It's a TikTok comment trend and meme where users reference a 1951 Korean War battle in which 900 Filipino soldiers defeated roughly 40,000 Chinese and North Korean troops. The phrase is used as a humorous flex or comeback[2].

Where did Don't Forget the Battle of Yultong come from?

The trend started in March 2024 on Filipino TikTok after a controversy involving TikToker @titonoelofficial, who was accused of body-shaming a plus-sized woman. Filipino users flooded his comment section with Battle of Yultong references[2].

What does Don't Forget the Battle of Yultong mean?

It's a way of saying someone is picking a fight with an opponent much larger than them, referencing the massively outnumbered Filipino battalion that held its ground at Yultong in 1951[1].

How do you use Don't Forget the Battle of Yultong?

Drop the phrase in a comment section when someone appears to be facing a much bigger opponent or losing a fight they started. The less context you provide, the funnier it is[2].

Is Don't Forget the Battle of Yultong still popular?

The trend peaked in March 2024 with millions of views across TikTok and spread to Reddit. While the initial comment spam wave died down, the phrase still gets used as a Filipino internet in-joke[2].

What actually happened at the Battle of Yultong?

On April 22, 1951, the 10th BCT of PEFTOK was surrounded by 40,000 Chinese troops during the Chinese Spring Offensive along the Imjin River. After their allied units retreated, the Filipino battalion fought alone and held their position[1].

Who was Captain Conrado Yap?

Captain Yap led the Heavy Weapons Company of the 10th BCT. When ordered to withdraw at Yultong, he refused and instead led a counterattack to rescue wounded soldiers, firing from his tank's mounted machine gun before being killed in action[1].

Why did Filipino users start the Battle of Yultong meme?

The controversy involved @titonoelofficial, a smaller man, allegedly mocking a plus-sized woman. Filipino users saw a parallel to the Battle of Yultong: a smaller force facing a much larger one[2].

What is the connection between the meme and anime?

TikTok creators made edits pairing Battle of Yultong facts with anime footage, particularly from Jujutsu Kaisen, blending Filipino military pride with anime fan culture[2].

Did the meme spread outside of Filipino TikTok?

Yes. By mid-March 2024, English-speaking TikTok users joined in, and the meme reached Reddit's r/2philippines4u and other platforms[2].

Dont Forget The Battle Of Yultong

2024Comment trend / catchphrasesemi-active

Published July 28, 2026

Also known as: Bro Forgot the Battle of Yultong

"Don't Forget the Battle of Yultong" is a TikTok comment trend and meme that took off in March 2024, rooted in a real 1951 Korean War battle where roughly 900 Filipino soldiers held off an estimated 40,000 Chinese and North Korean troops. Filipino TikTok users turned the battle into a running joke after a controversy involving a content creator accused of body-shaming, using it to imply someone was picking a fight with a much larger opponent.

Overview

The meme works on a simple premise: the Battle of Yultong saw a massively outnumbered Filipino battalion defeat a force roughly 40 times its size during the Korean War. Filipino internet users weaponized this historical fact as a comedic flex, dropping "Don't forget the Battle of Yultong" in comment sections whenever someone appeared to be picking a losing fight. The phrase doubles as both patriotic pride and absurdist humor, treating a real military engagement like a universal comeback2.

TikTok

The format typically appears as a standalone comment or reply, often without additional context. Part of the joke is that non-Filipino users encountering it for the first time have no idea what the Battle of Yultong is, leading them down a rabbit hole of Korean War history2.

Origin & Background

Platform

TikTok (Filipino comment sections)

Creator

Unknown

Date

2024

The historical Battle of Yultong took place on April 22, 1951, during the Chinese Spring Offensive of the Korean War. The 10th Battalion Combat Team (BCT) of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK), consisting of 64 officers and 1,303 enlisted men under Lt. Col. Dionisio S. Ojeda, was positioned along the Imjin River as part of the US 3rd Infantry Division1. When 40,000 Chinese troops of the 44th Division launched their assault, the Turkish Brigade and the US 65th Infantry Regiment on the flanks were forced to retreat, leaving the 10th BCT surrounded and fighting alone1.

Non-combatants including chaplains, clerks, medics, cooks, and drivers joined the fighting to bolster their outnumbered battalion1. Captain Conrado Yap led his Heavy Weapons Company in a counterattack to rescue the wounded and retrieve the dead, opening the hatch of his tank to fire on Chinese positions with a mounted machine gun1. The Filipino force held its ground against overwhelming odds, and the battle became a point of deep national pride in the Philippines.

Memes about the Battle of Yultong existed on TikTok before the 2024 comment trend, with some videos noting that patriotic Filipinos would frequently namedrop the battle when losing arguments online2. The specific "Don't forget the Battle of Yultong" trend started on March 10, 2024, when TikToker @jamiecasino posted a video accusing fellow creator @titonoelofficial (a mime and "green man" soldier character) of body-shaming her plus-sized friend2. That video pulled in over 4.5 million plays and 178,900 likes within nine days.

How It Spread

On March 15, 2024, @titonoelofficial posted an apology video that racked up over 14.1 million plays and 550,600 likes in four days2. The comment section became ground zero for the trend. One top comment read: "yung umiiyak Kana sa video tapos yung mga comment sayo.. puro battle of yultong lang" (translated from Filipino), roughly meaning "she cried in the video after the incident.. pure battle of yultong"2. The joke landed because the body-shaming controversy pitted @titonoelofficial against a larger opponent, mirroring the 900-vs-40,000 dynamic of the actual battle.

English-speaking TikTok users caught on quickly. By March 16, 2024, Filipino creators were uploading explainer videos about the trend. TikToker @zhul14 posted a breakdown that hit 1.9 million plays and 47,300 likes in three days2. The next day, @jerge_belmonteh made a comedic take on the comment spam that pulled 179,500 plays and 17,800 likes in two days2.

Fan edits started appearing in mid-March 2024. On March 16, TikToker @cyxrubb posted an edit using Jujutsu Kaisen characters and backdrops set to the Battle of Yultong theme, earning 251,100 plays and 39,500 likes in three days2. The meme jumped platforms on March 18, when Redditor z0z0cheese posted a Norman Rockwell "Freedom of Speech" parody to r/2philippines4u with the caption "the battle of yultong tiktok comments are not funny," picking up over 110 upvotes in a day2.

How to Use This Meme

The meme typically works in one of two ways:

The comment drop: When someone online appears to be picking a fight they can't win, or facing a much larger opponent (literally or figuratively), reply with "Don't forget the Battle of Yultong" or "Bro forgot the Battle of Yultong." No further explanation needed. The confusion it causes is part of the appeal.

The flex edit: Create a video edit pairing dramatic music or anime footage with facts about the Battle of Yultong, emphasizing the 900-vs-40,000 ratio. Common backdrops include anime fight scenes and military footage.

Cultural Impact

The trend pulled off something unusual: it turned a 73-year-old military engagement into a viral punchline while simultaneously educating millions of non-Filipino users about Philippine military history. The 10th BCT's stand at Yultong is already a source of national pride in the Philippines, where it's taught in schools and commemorated officially1. The meme gave that history a new audience, with English-speaking TikTok users searching for information about the battle after encountering the cryptic comments2.

The Battle of Yultong itself was a significant moment for the Philippines on the world stage. The country had only recently recovered from Japanese occupation during World War II when President Elpidio Quirino deployed troops to Korea, telling them: "Poor as we are, this country is making a great sacrifice in sending you there, but every peso invested in you is a sound investment for the perpetuation of our liberty and freedom"1. General Douglas MacArthur reportedly said of Filipino soldiers, "Give me 10,000 Filipinos and I will conquer the world"1.

Fun Facts

The 10th BCT was originally supposed to be a motorized unit operating tanks, but none of their tanks arrived in Korea, so they were converted into a heavy weapons unit instead1.

Captain Conrado Yap, who led the counterattack at Yultong, refused to retreat when ordered to withdraw, choosing to rescue wounded soldiers and retrieve the dead. He was killed during the action and became one of the Philippines' most decorated Korean War heroes1.

The Filipino soldiers who arrived in Pusan, South Korea in September 1950 were met by Korean refugees begging for food, a scene that hit them hard because they had witnessed the same devastation in the Philippines during World War II just years earlier1.

The Battle of Miudong, which came before Yultong, was the first battle won by Filipino soldiers on foreign soil1.

The meme's original trigger was a body-shaming controversy, making the "underdog vs. giant" metaphor work on both a historical and physical level2.

Derivatives & Variations

Jujutsu Kaisen edits:

TikToker @cyxrubb and others paired the Battle of Yultong narrative with JJK characters and animation, blending anime fandom with Filipino military history[2].

Norman Rockwell parody:

A Reddit post on r/2philippines4u used Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech" painting to mock the comment trend's ubiquity on TikTok[2].

"Bro forgot" variant:

A shorter version of the meme using the "Bro forgot" snowclone format, as in "Bro forgot the Battle of Yultong," which circulated alongside the original phrasing[2].