When people think Korea today, the thought is almost always tinted with war. The politics of the peninsula affect the world indirectly, but they effect the people living there every day. In downtown Seoul, we visited the Korean War Memorial and Museum, which tells the story, from the South’s perspective, of the war and struggle between brothers.
War Memorials
Memorials and monuments surround the museum. There are boats and planes and large sculptures of symbolic significance. Flags of the UN nations that fought for the south wrap around the entrance plaza welcoming visitors up the stairs.
The museum consists of three main areas. The main memorial lies directly beyond the central axis of the building. A rotunda with fountain in the middle sits dimly lit with a beam of light coming from the oculus. Books of remembrance and candles are found at the entrance with names of people who served and gave their lives in the conflict.
A ramp leads down to the beginning of exhibits recognizing Korea’s military history. There are dioramas, artifacts, and models. If you’re into military history, you would find it very interesting. Personally, I can only take so much of the stories of wars and conquests. Usually, they are only told from one perspective and glorify the bloodshed when told from the victor’s standpoint.
I find some of the artifacts much more interesting. In the center of the military history wing of the museum in the atrium, two models of turtle boats are on display. They show the famous armored vessels that were used by great military commanders anciently.
Korean War Exhibits
The upper floors of this wing tell the story of the Korean War from its beginning to the current standing. It is told from the South’s perspective. However, it is easy to see in the history and events how fault can be found on multiple fronts for the war and its drawn-out effects.
After a couple of the galleries (there are four large ones chronicling the war) I was done reading about the atrocities and done reading the propaganda. It is a good thing we had limited time, so I had an excuse to hurry through it.
A few days later, we would visit the border between nations and feel the real tension that still exists and witness the even more real posturing and dog and pony show between neighbors. More on that adventure in the next post.
