War Memorial (Seoul)
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 전쟁기념관 |
| Hanja | 戰爭紀念館 |
| Revised Romanization | Jeonjaeng ginyeomgwan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chŏnjaeng kinyŏmgwan |
 |
|
| Established | December 1993 |
| Location | Yongsan-dong, Seoul, South Korea |
| Type | War Memorial |
| Collection size | 13,000 items 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft) |
| Director | Sun Young-Jae |
| Website | The War Memorial of Korea |
War Memorial of Korea is located in Yongsan-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It opened in 1994 on the former site of the army headquarters to exhibit and memorialize the military history of Korea. The memorial building has six indoor exhibition rooms and an outdoor exhibition centre displaying war memorabilia and military equipment.
The War Memorial was built to commemorate actors and victims in the wars which led to the modern nation state. The museum also has the purpose of educating future generations by collecting, preserving, and exhibiting various historical relics and records related to the many wars fought in the country from a South Korean perspective.
The construction of the War Memorial of Korea was completed in December 1993. The project was carried out in consultation with military experts while collecting a wide range of exhibition items at home and abroad. Upon the completion of the interior, the memorial opened officially on June 10, 1994, and became the largest landmark of its kind in the world.
Located on the old site of Army Headquarters, the War Memorial of Korea has four aboveground floors and two underground floors in the main building, which stands on an area of about 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft). On the grounds around the memorial, there are loudspeakers that broadcast patriotic messages.
In cloistered left and right galleries, flanking the facade of the main building, are rows of black marble monuments inscribed with the names of those who died during the Korean War, Vietnam War, clashes with North Korea since the Korean War and of policemen who died on duty. The plaza in the museum compound has an artificial waterfall, and around it are widespread rest areas so that visitors can picnic while enjoying the pleasant landscape. In the center of the plaza stands the Statue of Brothers, the elder a South Korean soldier and the younger a North Korean soldier, which symbolizes the situation of Korea's division.
13,000 items are displayed in six halls under different themes: Memorial Hall, War History, Korean War, Expeditionary Forces, ROK Armed Forces, and Large Equipment, plus the outside exhibition area. There are weapons and equipment from prehistoric times to the modern period as well as paintings of battlefields and sculptures of notable warriors and of An Jung-geun, who assassinated a former Resident-General in Manchuria in 1909. About 100 large weapons are displayed in the outside exhibition area on the lawns around the building.
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Wikipedia