Ultimate Guide to War Memorial of Korea

The War Memorial of Korea is a massive military museum which is in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. In 1994, the former army headquarters site became a museum to display and honor the military war saga of Korea from 1950 to 1953.

Korea has been invaded innumerable times by neighboring countries in the past and this museum is the perfect place to visit. Especially if you want to know more about the military history of Korea. The museum honors the military forces and civilians affected by the Korean War, offering insights into the conflict and its impact on Korea’s history.

The War Memorial of Korea, a prominent museum in Seoul, houses over 13,000 artifacts, including war memorabilia, battle records, military equipment, statues, maps, and paintings.

All You Need to Know about War Memorial of Korea

The museum is open to visitors who want to touch, feel, and see the battlefield relics. Being there can help replicate the feeling of standing in the front lines of the battlegrounds. The combat room inside the museum has audiovisual and vibration effects. It can transport the visitors to the arena of battle. Moreover, you can experience the images of war more by the smell of gunpowder in the room.

Displays of tanks, warplanes, and heavy artillery create a connection to Korea’s military history. Background music adds a reflective atmosphere for visitors.

How to get to the War Memorial of Korea

For those visiting Seoul, there are three modes of transportation to reach the museum.

By subway

Takes a maximum of 10 minutes to reach to War Memorial from the Seoul Station

By taxi

It takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes to reach the War Memorial from Seoul Station by taxi.

By walking

Walking from Seoul Station to the War Memorial takes approximately 30 minutes.

Opening hours

The War Memorial is open daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with the last entry allowed at 5:30 PM.m

Entrance fees

Admission to the War Memorial of Korea’s exhibition halls is free. However, additional fees may apply for special exhibits.

Parking fees

Parking at the War Memorial costs 4,000 KRW for the first two hours, with additional charges for extended time.

Korean War

Japan had ruled over Korea from 1910-to 1945 in an oppressive and ruthless way. They forbade the Koreans from using their language or exercising their culture because they wanted to weaken them as a nation. The dictatorship of Japan ends when Nagasaki and Hiroshima were hit by the atomic bomb in World War 2 in 1945, causing the Korean peninsula to be passed to the USA and the Soviet Union.

Both these superpowers distributed the peninsula in two parts with the USA announcing their military regime in the South while the Soviet Union setting up a communist government in North Korea. However, both the superpowers were bent on invading the other portion of the Korean peninsula and unifying it under one regime.

The skirmishes between the superpowers were further ignited by the Korean politicians and the volatile relationship between the South and North Korea erupted when 75,000 members from the North Korean army invaded South Korea with the support of Soviet leader Stalin. The proxy war between the two superpowers turned into a civil war that lasted for three years and consumed the lives of almost 2-4 million amongst which 70% were civilians. The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice agreement between North and South Korea, the US, and China. However, no formal peace treaty has been signed, meaning North and South Korea remain technically at war. In 2021, discussions about formally ending the war were held, but no agreement was reached.

Things to see in War Memorial of Korea

The colossal War Memorial of Korea has an outdoor and indoor exhibition.

Outdoor Exhibition

The outdoor exhibitions include full-scale models of ships, helicopters, tanks, combat aircraft, and artillery used during the Korean War, Vietnam War, and World War II.

Indoor Exhibition

The indoor exhibition space covers up to 14,000㎡ and has seven core exhibition rooms which are:

• Patriots Memorial Room
• War history Room
• Korean War Room
• Expeditionary Forces Room
• Armed Forces Development Room
• Korean Defense Industries Room
• Large Equipment Room

These rooms showcase artifacts from Korea’s military history, spanning ancient times to the modern era.

Korean War Exhibition

The Korean War Exhibition constitutes three halls that showcase the history of the Korean War, its progression, and its truce. Visitors can also view black and white documentary footage which chronicles the core battles and events that transpired in the Korean War.

Instagram of War Memorial of Korea

Other exhibits in the museum embrace the details of Korea’s connection with the Vietnam War, the attack of North Korean soldiers on the South, and the UN peacekeeping strategies adopted by Korea.

The children’s museum presents Korea’s war history in a more interactive format. The surrounding play area was once used as a military training ground.

Conclusion

The War Memorial of Korea is a magnificent place covering a colossal area and parading a stellar war collection. There are free one-hour tours daily between 10 am to 2 pm. It takes more than three hours to completely check out the place, so it is best to arrive at the destination before 3 pm.

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