1 Fine Afternoon At WAR MEMORIAL OF KOREA

Are you a warfreak?

Let's redefine the word warfreak at least for this article. Let's make it more positive. What I mean when I say warfreak is having an utmost desire to learn or study more about war. It is not about making it as a habit, but making the "study" about war as a hobby.

I think it's interesting to learn more about war because it's part of the world history, and when we talk about it, I mean the misunderstanding between nations, Korea is one of the many countries who took part in so many kind of wars in the world. As a Filipino who is working here in Korea, everytime I see statues, museum or anything related to war, it reminds me of the darkest time of South Korea but it gives me a jolt of pride since Philippines helped South Korea to survive during the momentum of chaos against North Korea.

If this subject is something that trigger your interest, let me bring you to The War Memorial of Korea (전쟁기념관). 



I spent one fine afternoon last summer at War Memorial of Korea or we could just call it a museum. This museum was not only built just to showcase the grandeur of Korean warcrafts and weaponries, it is also a tribute to the victims and to the people who participated to all the wars that involved Korea. There are a lot of interesting stories and artifacts that 2 hours is not enough to really savor what this museum has to offer. If you really want to know everything about the place, you must spend half a day. 

This "Statue of Brothers" built in the southwest part of the memorial park is not simply a stone built in human form and fixated in a cracked dome made with granite. There's a story behind this statue, a mere proof that the museum has a heart that could capture the attention of many tourists aside from the fact that it is the biggest museum in the world of its kind. This statue depicts the story of the brothers, one working for South Korea and the other one working for North Korea. They met in the battlefield in the middle of the war. This is a profound image that showcase the greatness of love over any hatred and misunderstanding.



Another Interesting sculpture at the museum is this statue made with bronze. I love the details of the sculpture because it does not only show an action of escaping but the expression on their faces conveys tensions and troubles. I don't have any idea about the story of this statue but I find it very interesting.

Photo credit to www.exploringkorea.com


For the pleasure of your eyes, if you are not really into history and you just want to see their weapons, you can visit the Large Military Equipment Exhibit where you can see 3 types of weapons they used during the war. The Large Military Equipment is just one of the many halls for exhibits you can see at the museum. 

You can see a lot of types of weapons. This one is obviously used for battles that take place in the sea.




There are also a lot of land based warcrafts being displayed in the large military equipment in the exhibit like this:


We tried to operate it like we are one of the armies, but of course this is just for the show.


And more acting like this.... LIKE A BOSS!!! :)



It was such an amazing experience to ride on every piece in the exhibit.



And of course, the air based equipment are all there too. They are all huge!!!


The stuff look so real, of course they're real, just inactive.


Look, everyone is taking poses together with the weapons.



I think this is just one way to remind people that all these weapons and equipment can be as fun as cars and stuff toys if not being used to something horrible like killing people. Nobody wins in war, but everybody can be happy to see these stuff if being used in some activities that could contribute to the progress of the nation, like in this case in the area of tourism.

For those who are curious enough and want to visit the War Memorial of Korea, you can take this direction:

Take the subway line number 4 or number 6 to Samgakji Station. Go out at Exit Number 12. The museum is just 5 minutes away from this station. The War Memorial of Korea opens at 9 in the morning until 6 PM.

Comments

  1. Love to know the story of each statue you have posted here, greatly touched by the tale of two brothers. Hope I can learn more from Koreas "War Freak" museum.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love history and I want to know more what happened to the Korean War. I know it existed but I wanna learn the story behind the war and the root cause of it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I learned so much about the culture of this country. Thanks for sharing this South Korea in the Perspective of a Filipino Expatriate. - Carl

    ReplyDelete
  4. North Korea and South Korea are the only two countries in the world with 100 homogeneity in terms of ethnicity. Too bad they have to be belligerent towards each other. The museum only demonstrates the Realism Theory in International relations.

    ReplyDelete
  5. this war memorial is such a remarkable outdoor museum! i like the sculptures and the green scenery.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am still hoping (even though it sounds absurd) that the two Koreas will unite as one... but I don't know when will this happen, or will this EVER happen since the north is still indifferent with the south.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Reading about the Korean War makes me so angry. Two countries torn apart by a ridiculous dictator. Sigh. Thank you for this post, its good to honour those who have fallen.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Whaha you should have worn soldier costumes or general with stars outfits to make photos more creative. It's a fun visit and I'm sure you learned a lot from the war.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The place reminds me of our very own Corregidor and also has a lot of military display.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm not wondering why they have that in Korea, especially if North Korea is always ready to attack anyone in this world.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I saw a movie about two brothers fighting on opposite sides during the Korean War, if I'm not mistaken it was Tae Guk Gi, saw that movie it was quite powerful and very emotional.

    ReplyDelete
  12. No wonder Korea owns almost if not all the latest sophisticated war arsenals in the world. The Nokor are doing the same.

    ReplyDelete
  13. the sculpture indeed looks very detailed and amazing! i can remember that museum we went to in VIetnam which they have detials from the past!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Whooo I feel amazed and afraid at the same time. I hope none will raise war again and both korea (south and north) will unite soon. Love the museum by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  15. wow! these sculptures looks amazing especially the soldiers. Very awesome! :))

    ReplyDelete
  16. I like how they turned the place into a memorial museum to celebrate the lives of those who fought during the war.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow! This is a nice place to visit in Korea. Gusto ko rin magkaroon ng photos with those tanks :D

    ReplyDelete
  18. It's nice to know that old equipment used in korea's war is still has large value and very useful in tourism. I remember the Philippine Navy here.

    ReplyDelete
  19. if this is a museum, then i guess it just show how strong korea really is when it comes to warfare. Yahweh bless.

    ReplyDelete
  20. No one really wins in war---both sides lose something they can never get back.

    Given the chance, I would love to see this museum and learn something about Korean history.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Museums and Memorials are the best source of history of any event in the country, spending time with these places makes one a renewed person.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment