The War Memorial of Korea & Museum | Seoul, South Korea

The Korean War Memorial and museum was a really interesting (and unplanned!) stop for us. We took a bus to Yongsan, the military base located in Seoul, and were walking to the nearest subway station to catch a train across the city headed for The Wal'z Dog Cafe. Right outside the walking gate we saw static jets and, unknown to us, The War Memorial of Korea. Static jets? Heck chyes. 

After understanding where we were and since we didn't have anything terribly pressing scheduled for the day, we decided to spend some time checking it out. I'm glad we did! We started in the area with all of the aircraft, tanks, etc., then ventured into the actual museum.

Ethan's checking out the tanks. They had more on display than I'd expected!

Note the USAF! There are several American military aircraft here.

This area with the static jets and equipment on display was open for us to simply walk into, like a park. There were many Korean families there taking photos with the aircraft.

As you can see, there are many types of aircraft here to check out. The signage provides descriptions in both Hangugeo and English for your convenience. No need to pull out Google Translate! 

Missile defense systems from the war.

We honestly could have spent an entire afternoon here reading and learning. I hope to return and spend more time looking around. Next to the area with the static jets is the actual museum. The front is an area surrounded by plaques and the flags of all of the nations that aided the country of Korea during the war.

Test shot! He's a great sport.

I found this to be a really interesting depiction. No words are really needed here. The message is clear. However, for your information:

Facing outwards from the museum.

Once we'd explored outside, we went into the museum. There isn't an entrance fee for walking through the museum, which was nice. There's also a cafe, gift shop and restrooms to your right as you enter through the front. Grab a pamphlet at the start and feel free to explore!

At the end of this hall, we entered a dark room with luminaries on both sides. In the middle of the room sat a large book encased in plexiglass. It was open and written inside were the names of all of the people who had died during the war. Before the case was a line which you were not to cross. I watched a woman and her daughter come forward, stand at the line, and the woman and little girl both bowed and spoke "감사합니다" ("kamsahamnida") in solemn thanks. I didn't feel very comfortable taking photos inside the room like a tourist, especially focusing my lens on that book like it was a spectacle. However, I did get this shot of some of the words on the walls to give you an idea of the atmosphere.

There were many symbols with great meaning as we passed through the museum. This room especially. Again, the documentarian inside me felt conflicted about taking many photos here. It felt sacred and I wanted to respect that.

As we moved through the museum, the environment became more informational. There were various displays and much to read, as with any museum.
Soon our stomachs were beginning to growl, so we decided to find lunch. I'd love to return and explore more. There was so much to see. You could easily spend two or more hours here.

As we were departing, we came upon this statue and I think this was the most moving for me of the entire experience. It depicts a South Korean officer holding his North Korean soldier brother. You can read the full description below.

Overall, I'd highly recommend putting this stop on your itinerary. The Korean War is such a huge part of Korea's history and in turn, their culture. It was astonishing to see how many nations across the globe played a part in aiding Korea, including countries in Africa, Europe and the Americas. We were also able to see how much respect the Korean people have for those who fought and lost their lives defending their country, like the woman and her daughter bowing in gratitude. That kind of gesture of respect is not something I'd likely see in the states, possibly due to the great diversity of people in America. I really feel like we lack unity as a country, which saddens me.

Our visit didn't cost us anything but our time, which was spent learning, and in my opinion that's always time well spent. I encourage you to make an effort to check it out.

The Details

• What: The War Memorial of Korea and Museum
• When: Open December-February: 09:00-17:30
All other months: 09:00-18:00 (* Last admission is one hour before closing.)
Culture Day (last Wednesday of each month): 09:00-20:00
Closed every Monday (* If Monday is a holiday, it will be closed on the following day instead.)
• Where: 29, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 용산구 이태원로 29 (용산동1가)
• Cost: Admission is free! (There is a fee for parking. We walk everywhere, so that's not an issue for us.)