At the entrance of the museum courtyard, harrowed statues of soldiers and families greet visitors.
this rock isn't very interesting- I only included it because it's a replica of the real rock
The courtyard alone could have been its own museum and would have been worth the price of admission. Tanks, planes, and other units and weaponry from the North and the South filled the yard, making it a veritable parking lot for these historical vehicles.
inside a carrier plane
On the way into the museum, I saw a little Korean boy randomly walk up to two Americans, look up in awe, and start waving until his mother pulled him away and chastised him.
One of the most noteworthy aspects of the museum, I felt, was how dramatically it portrayed the Korean War, encouraging visitors to root for the heroic South Koreans in their battle against the troublesome North Koreans. The bias wasn't blatantly obvious, and I only realized it was there as I watched the explanatory videos playing throughout the museum. Each video combined archival news footage with dramatic narration and a full orchestra score. I found my spirits falling as I watched celebration of Korean independence from Japanese colonial rule turn to conflict as Kim Il Sung set up an "illegitimate" government in the north, apart from Syngman Rhee's "true" Korean government. And the entry of the Chinese just as the South was about to achieve victory felt like the third act twist in a tragedy.
A number of other presentations in the museum had me casting a skeptical eye. The museum declared that the North had invaded the South and initiated the war, explaining that because South had been unarmed it must have been on the defensive. Yet I remembered learning that a significant number of scholars (including some Korean scholars), albeit a minority, have cast doubt on the claim that the North started the war, arguing instead that the South provoked the outbreak. Because people on both sides are so emotionally invested in the events, however, we may never learn the whole truth. Had I not taken Korean history, I would have accepted the claims in the war museum as fact.
The museum also made sure to inform visitors of the atrocities the North Korean army inflicted on the helpless South Korean villagers. Yet there was no mention of any atrocities committed by Southern soldiers against the North. Somehow I don't think it was all sunshine and rainbows when the South pushed all the way up the peninsula. Yet one of the museum's paintings actually depicted Syngman Rhee being warmly welcomed, celebrated even, in a Pyongyang which had fallen under Southern control.
I only point these things out because the museum was so extensive and involving that I would be remiss not to acknowledge that there was a clearly defined perspective being presented. If the museum had presented a more balanced view, I think it would have been harder to empathize with either side. Even living in the Seoul area, one forgets that Korea is a nation cleaved in two, and also that the split resulted in significant damage to the national psyche. The dramatic flourishes of the museum went a long way towards bringing the dark chapter of history to life.
The museum also had countless maps and diagrams to explain the military campaigns waged by each side, and mannequins to create a sense of being there. The battle of the Han River and the Incheon offensive seemed much more real simply by virtue of my having been to these places, and knowing them as modern Korean landmarks.
There was also a "war re-creation room," where a mock battlefield had been built, and, with the help of lasers, smoke, sound effects, and vibrating floors, visitors could feel what it was like to be in the midst of battle.
One last point of interest from the Korean War Museum was the way General MacArthur was portrayed. Instead of being viewed as a crazy, power-hungry leader, MacArthur was depicted in the museum (and in Korea) as a hero, since he managed to take back almost all of North Korea for the south. The underlying subtext was that President Johnson was a fool for recalling him.
Apparently Chinese soldiers enjoyed playing the drums, recorder, and maracas
dog tags to commemorate the fallen
model of a war-torn village
I was a little dismayed that the first floor had been turned into a playzone for kids- somehow I don't think giant inflatable slides and bloody war stories really mix well
I probably could have spent the whole day at the museum, but as dinnertime rolled around, it was time to head to Gangnam for the academy president's housewarming party/steak dinner. And so I took my leave...
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