One of my favorite sightseeing trips I did while in Seoul was the Korean War Memorial (전쟁기념관) in Yongsan-gu, near our hotel in Itaewon. The memorial opened in 1994 on the former site of the Korean Infantry Headquarters to exhibit and remember Korean military history. It is ranked #5 of 456 things to do in Seoul by Lonely Planet. The large outdoor exhibit {it is the largest of its kind in the world} has over 13,000 war memorabilia items, and the indoor portion has eight exhibition rooms. We only had time to see the outdoor park! Admission was free.
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Enjoying the stroll to the memorial with a coffee and a hot apple pastry from Paris Baguette Cafe {I will have withdrawals back in the States!}:
{Finally feeling autumn in Korea! (the latitude in Seoul is a bit farther north than Jeju. The leaves were enormous! I jokingly said they were as big as my head: impressive. ;)}
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The Memorial:
{Eight indoor exhibits are housed in the main building seen here. Exhaustive research was done to make this the first museum of it's size and kind. Exhibits are the Hogukchumo Exhibit, War History Exhibit, June 25th War Exhibit, Overseas Dispatched Troops Exhibits, Military Development Exhibit, Large Equipment Exhibit, and the Outdoor Exhibit. }.
{This is a replica statue built to commemorate a great king; The Statue of King Gwanggaeto. Sadly, the original is now on Chinese territory}.
{This central monument represents an arrow and the "tree of life", which is surrounded by the statue group called "Defending the Fatherland"}.
{Outside of the museum, there are so many planes, boats, and miscellaneous military items etc. from the Korean War. Most of the items, like this plane, are US Air-Force stock}.
{Statue group called "Defending the Fatherland." Above^^ is the South Korean "side" of the monument; the bronze soldiers here are depicted looking brave and determined. They were huge and ornately detailed, and that made them powerful to me}.
{The North Korean "side" of the monument ^^, which was literally halved around the central arrow monument. The plaque is below:}
{Plaque reminding visitors of the statues that represent all types of people on both "sides"; who were, and still are affected by the war and hostility between North and South Korea}.
{And again}.
{Posing with the statues}:
{I loved this plaque}.
{Several of the ships at the memorial were exact replicas. The many war vehicles are displayed near to one another to invite comparison. However, many you could not enter inside. They were still amazing to see}.
{These "face" ball fountain statues did not have any description in English. It was a bit haunting to see the fountain covered in little faces. Could be commemorating soldiers or victims, or perhaps not. There were several in the courtyard}.
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Proudly and fondly thinking of my Pepe {Robert Charles Levesque} today, who fought in the United States Army in the Korean War Era. As the plaques declare, the Republic of Korea, along with the UN forces of 21 different nations, helped to defend democracy and national peace for South Koreans. I work alongside their grandchildren and great-grandchildren today. R.I.P.xo
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