The War Memorial of Korea

The War Memorial of Korea

Originally this weekend I had planned on hiking Inwangsan, but a steady downpour on Saturday lead me to change my plans (because I hate being muddy!). I’m glad my plans did change, as I had the opportunity to visit the War Memorial of Korea. It’s an amazing exhibit hall, that’s dedicated to providing an educational and emotional experience to visitors.

The Lonely Planet guide book recommends spending at least 3 hours there… something I think is a bit light. You see, there is so much to see and learn there, that one can easily spend a full day taking in the over 13,000 items on display.

The Memorial opened in 1994 and has a steady flow of visitors. When you first arrive (I recommend by subway, since parking is quite limited), you are greeted by an amazing display of military hardware ranging from the small (rocket launchers) to the large (a B-52).

Military Hardware

Outside the main hall are also six distinct areas that pay tribute to armed conflict that are worth seeing. The Korean War Monument, The Two Brothers, The Clock of Hope, and the Monument to those killed in action being the most moving in my opinion. Walking the grounds (which is free) can easily take a few hours to accomplish. Then you can enter the massive three-story museum structure.

Inside you’ll seen the history of war in Korea dating back to the its settlement days. I really wish I had more time to view these items, but time was running short on my day. It’s something I’ll have to go back and see again.

For the most part, the museum area focuses on the Korean War. There are several movies available to watch (Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese languages available), as well as a guided audio tour. When I return, I’ll have to spend more time watching the films, as they are well made, but I simply didn’t have the time to wait my turn for the English version of the movies.

You can see more photos from my visit here as well as my video on YouTube.