The War Memorial of Korea () is a museum located in Yongsan-dong,

Yongsan-gu Yongsan District (, ) is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. It has a population of 231,685 (2020) and has a geographic area of , and is divided into 19 '' dong'' (administrative neighborhoods). Yongsan is located near Downtown Seoul, ...

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. It opened in 1994 on the former site of the army headquarters to exhibit and memorialize the

military history of Korea Korea's military history spans thousands of years, beginning with the ancient nation of Gojoseon and continuing into the present day with the countries of North Korea and South Korea, and is notable for its many successful triumphs over invaders ...

. It was built for the purpose of preventing war through lessons from the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

and for the hoped for peaceful

reunification A political union is a type of political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller politics or the process which achieves this. These smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal territories in a federal govern ...

of North and South Korea. The memorial building has six indoor exhibition rooms and an outdoor exhibition centre displaying war memorabilia and military equipment from China, South Korea and the United States.

History

The War Memorial covers the history of Korean War which took place from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953.

Construction

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 from 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.

Surrounding area

Located on the old site of Army Headquarters, the War Memorial of Korea has three above-ground floors of exhibits. It also has two underground floors in the main building, which stands on an area of about . 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

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, 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 An artificial waterfall is a water feature or fountain which imitates a natural waterfall. Artificial waterfalls have long been featured in traditional Japanese gardens, where they can serve to highlight a scene or to provide focus. The classic ...

, 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.

Public transportation

* Samgakji Station exit 12

Exhibition areas

6,300 items are displayed in seven halls and an outdoor exhibition area. There is a Memorial Hall, War History Room, Korean War Room, Expeditionary Forces Room, ROK Armed Forces Room, Exhibition Hall for Donated Artifacts, and Exhibition of Large Military Equipments. The exhibitions show weapons and equipment from prehistoric times to the modern period, as well as depictions of notable military and militant figures. About 100 large weapons are displayed in the outside exhibition area on the lawns around the building.

Memorial Hall

Upon entering the memorial halls, this English text is inscribed:

Inscribed on this memorial are the names of the
Republic of Korea Armed Forces The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (), also known as the ROK Armed Forces, are the armed forces of South Korea. The ROK Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world with a reported personnel strength o ...
Soldiers and Policemen killed in the Armed Forces Activation, Korean War, Vietnam War and Counter Infiltration Operation and the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
Forces Soldiers killed in the Korean War.

Indoor displays

Objects on display inside include: * Full-sized replica of a

turtle ship A turtle ship (; ) was a type of warship that was used by the Korean Joseon Navy from the early 15th century up until the 19th century. They were used alongside the panokseon warships in the fight against invading Japanese fleets. The ship's name ...

* BM-13-16N Katyusha rocket launcher * LVT-3 Bushmaster amphtrack *

M4A3E8 Sherman The M4 Sherman tank was produced in several variants, a result of mass production spread across several manufacturers and several years. It was also the basis for a number of related vehicles and Shermans have been modified by several nations, ...

M36 tank destroyer The M36 tank destroyer, formally 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage, M36, was an American tank destroyer used during World War II. The M36 combined the hull of the M10 tank destroyer, which used the M4 Sherman, M4 Sherman's reliable chassis and drive ...

M46 Patton The M46 Patton is an American medium tank designed to replace the M26 Pershing and M4 Sherman. It was one of the U.S Army's principal medium tanks of the early Cold War, with models in service from 1949 until the mid-1950s. It was not widely ...

* T-34/85 tank * Cadillac Fleetwood 62 used by

Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965), also known by his art name Unam (), was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisiona ...

* ZIL ZIS-110 limousine formerly used by

Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

Cessna O-1 Bird Dog The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog is a liaison and observation aircraft that first flew on December 14, 1949, and entered service in 1950 as the L-19 in the Korean War. It went to serve in many branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, was not retired until t ...

112537 * KTX-1 Yeo-myung, prototype for the production

KAI KT-1 Woongbi The KAI KT-1 Woongbi (korean language, Hangul: KT-1 웅비) is a South Korean single-engined turboprop, basic training aircraft. It was jointly developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD). Developm ...

advanced trainer. * MiG-15UTI Midget, a trainer variant of the MiG-15 Fagot fighter aircraft. * North American AT-6F Texan * North American F-51D-25-NA Mustang 44–73494. This aircraft was built at North American Aviation's Inglewood, California plant in 1944. It eventually served with the 109th Fighter Squadron of the Minnesota ANG, where it was stationed until 1952. In July of that year, it was transferred to the ROKAF as aircraft to serve in the

, marked as aircraft "K-205". * North American F-86F-30-NA Sabre 52–4308. The aircraft flew with the

3200th Proof Test Group The 3200th Proof Test Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active with the Air Armament Center, based at Eglin AFB, Florida. It was inactivated on 1 July 1953. History Established by the Air Armament Center at Eglin ...

Eglin AFB Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The ...

, Florida beginning in 1953. It was then transferred to ROKAF in 1955. * F-86 Sabre nose section *

Yakovlev Yak-18 The Yakovlev Yak-18 (; NATO reporting name Max) is a tandem two-seat military primary trainer aircraft manufactured in the Soviet Union. Originally powered by one 119 kW (160 hp) Shvetsov M-11FR-1 radial piston engine, it entered ser ...

trainer aircraft

Outdoor display area

Items on display include: Fixed-wing aircraft: *

de Havilland Canada U-6A Beaver The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing Propeller (aircraft), propeller-driven STOL, short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada. It has been primarily operated as a b ...

51–16837 (manufacturer number 386 and 1190). This aircraft was delivered to the U.S. Army as an L-20A on October 24, 1952. In 1962, this type of aircraft was re-designated the U-6A Beaver. Under the Military Assistance Program, it was transferred to the Republic of Korea Air Force. * Antonov An-2 "Colt" * Curtiss C-46D-20-CU Commando 44–78541. This aircraft was built in 1944. This aircraft served with the 45th Troop Carrier Troop Squadron in the Pacific Theater during WWII. It was eventually operated as a TC-46D Commando training aircraft by the 2578th Reserve Flying Training Center at

Ellington AFB Ellington Airport is a public and military use airport in Harris County, Texas, United States. It is owned by the City of Houston's department of aviation, Houston Airport System and located southeast of downtown Houston. Formerly known as ...

, Texas until being mothballed in April 1956. It returned to service with the 1st Air Commando Wing at

, Florida, in 1963. It was finally transferred to the ROKAF as part of the Cold War-era

Military Assistance Program The Mutual Defense Assistance Act was a United States Act of Congress signed by President Harry S. Truman on October 6, 1949. For U.S. foreign policy, it was the first U.S. military foreign aid legislation of the Cold War era, and initially to ...

on September 25, 1968. * Fairchild C-123J Provider 56–4389. This aircraft was built in 1956 as a C-123B and later converted to a C-123J in the 1960s. This aircraft served with the Alaska ANG's 176th Tactical Airlift Group at

Kulis ANGB Kulis Air National Guard Base was a National Guard of the United States facility in Anchorage, Alaska. The facility adjacent to and south of Ted Stevens International Airport was home to the 176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard until tha ...

, Alaska, servicing

Alaskan Air Command The Alaskan Air Command (AAC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command originally established in 1942 under the United States Army Air Forces. Its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise di ...

radar sites until it was retired on January 21, 1976, and sent to MASDC. On May 5, 1977, it was sent to Korea as part of the Military Assistance Program. * Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar marked as 53–3199. Formerly a C-119F, it was converted into a C-119G between 1955 and 1957 before being transferred to the

Republic of China Air Force The Republic of China Air Force ( Chinese, 中華民國空軍), or the ROCAF; known colloquially as the Taiwanese Air Force ( Chinese, 臺灣空軍) by Western or mainland Chinese media, or commonly referred as the National Military Air Force ...

in 1970. It was later donated to the War Memorial of Korea and repainted with USAF markings. *

Boeing B-52D Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...

55–0105. This aircraft is one of only three B-52s displayed outside the US. Served with the 4258th Strategic Wing at U-Tapao RTAFB in Thailand during the Vietnam War and the 96th Bombardment Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas. It is currently on a long-term loan to the War Memorial of Korea. * Grumman S-2A Tracker 13–6707. This aircraft served with the US Navy's Air Anti-Submarine Squadron 28 (VS-28) (initially nicknamed the "Hukkers" and later, the "Gamblers") aboard USS ''Wasp'' (CVS-18) beginning in 1962. Eventually, it was retired and transferred to ROKAF in 1972. During a reorganization of the Korean armed forces, it was later reassigned to the

ROK Navy The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ), also known as the ROK Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and Amphibious warfare, amphibious operations. The South ...

. * North American F-86D-35-NA Sabre 51–8502. This aircraft served with the USAF's

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...

before being transferred to the ROKAF. * Northrop F-5A-40-NO Freedom Fighter 68–9046 (construction number 6412). This aircraft was one of the 190 F-5A airframes made for the ROKAF. It has a long serving career, flying with the ROKAF as late as 2000. It is currently painted with the twin tiger head insignia applied to all ROKAF F-5s. * McDonnell Douglas F-4C-23-MC Phantom II 64–0766. This aircraft served with the USAF's

12th Tactical Fighter Wing The 12th Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. The wing is the parent organization for the 479th Fly ...

in the

from 1967 to 1970. It was transferred to the 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing at Kunsan AB, South Korea. It was later used to train USAF air crews and went on to fly with the Illinois ANG's 170th Tactical Fighter Squadron and the Oregon ANG's 123rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron. After its flying career ended, it was transferred to Suwon AB, South Korea in August 1986 to be used as damage-control trainer before being put on display at the War Memorial of Korea. *

Shenyang J-6 The Shenyang J-6 (wikt:歼, Chinese: 歼-6; designated F-6 for export versions; NATO reporting name: Farmer) is the Chinese version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter, the world's first mass-produced supersonic airc ...

. This aircraft is a Chinese-made copy of the Soviet MiG-19 "Farmer". This particular aircraft was flown by KPAF defector Captain Lee Ung-Pyeong to South Korea 25 February 1983. * Cessna T-41B Mescalero 67–15054. This aircraft flew with U.S. Army until it was sent to the ROKAF in 1971 as part of the

to be used as a trainer. It is now marked "T-045." * North American T-28A Trojan 51–7830. This aircraft was flown by the USAF as a trainer before being sent to the ROKAF in February 1961. This aircraft still wears its USAF "TA-830"

buzz number Buzz numbers were letter-number combinations displayed by United States Air Force military aircraft in the years immediately after World War II, through the early 1960s. The first two letters of a buzz number indicated the type and designation ...

. * Lockheed T-33A-1-LO Shooting Star 53–5129. This aircraft flew with the USAF as a trainer until being sent to South Korea as part of the

Foreign Military Sales Foreign Military Sales (FMS) is a security assistance program of the United States government to facilitate the purchase of U.S. arms, defense equipment, design and construction services, and military training to foreign governments. FMS is a gove ...

program. It is still marked with a USAF-style "TR-129"

. * Cessna T-37C Tweet 72–1366. This aircraft was sold to the Republic of Korea Air Force and marked as "21366.". This aircraft type served with the ROKAF as a trainer, FAC, and light attack aircraft. *

Buhwal-ho Buhwal (; means "revival" or "resurrection" is the first domestically-developed powered aircraft of Republic of Korea. South Korea, R.O.K. Air Force Technical School led its development and the test flight was conducted in October 1953. It is li ...

, the first domestically produced Korean aircraft. Helicopters * Bell AH-1J "International Cobra" 29066. This helicopter was one of eight TOW-capable AH-1J helicopters sold to the

ROK Army The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the largest of the military branches of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces with 365,00 ...

in 1978. * Bell UH-1B Iroquois 62–12542. This helicopter formerly served as a helicopter gunship with the U.S. Navy's HA(L)-3 Seawolves in the

before being transferred to the South Korean air force. * Bell OH-13H Sioux *

McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender The McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems MD 500 Defender is a light multi-role military helicopter based on the MD Helicopters MD 500, MD 500 light utility helicopter and Hughes OH-6 Cayuse, OH-6 Cayuse Light Observation Helicopter. Design and ...

* Sikorsky H-5H Dragonfly 49–2007. This helicopter was built 1949 under a USAF contract. For November 1960 to May 1960, it served with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as N6591D before being donated to the USAF Museum and eventually loaned to the War Memorial of Korea. * Sikorsky HH-19B Chickasaw 53–4425. This helicopter was delivered to the USAF as a H-19B on September 2, 1954. It served in the USAF as a troop carrier and was eventually modified for air-sea rescue work and re-designated as an SH-19B (in 1962, all SH-19Bs were re-designated as HH-19Bs). It was eventually sent to the ROKAF in 1964. * Aerospatiale SA319B Alouette III 770301. This helicopter formerly served with the

. This aircraft sank a DPRK infiltration craft disguised as a fishing vessel with AS.11 missiles on 13 August 1983, killing 5 North Korean servicemen. This helicopter is painted with a kill marking commemorating the event. Armored Vehicles: * Two M4A3E8 Shermans * T-34/85 tank *

M56 Scorpion The M56 "Scorpion" self-propelled gun is an American unarmored, Air assault, airmobile self-propelled gun, self-propelled tank destroyer, which was armed with a 90 mm Gun M1/M2/M3, 90 mm M54 gun with a simple blast shield, and an unprotected crew ...

M47 Patton The M47 Patton was an American medium tank, a development of the M46 Patton mounting an updated turret, and was in turn further developed as the M48 Patton. It was the second American tank to be named after General George S. Patton, commande ...

M48 Patton The M48 Patton is an American first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun M48, armored, full-tracked, combat vehicle of the medium-gun tank class. It was designed as a replacement for ...

K1 88-Tank The K1, sometimes referred to as the 88 Tank (88 전차), is a South Korean main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (later General Dynamics Land Systems) and Hyundai Precision Industry (later Hyundai Rotem) for the Republic of Korea Armed ...

SU-100 The SU-100 ( Russian: самоходная установка-100, СУ-100 romanized: '' Samokhodnaya Ustanovka-''100) is a Soviet tank destroyer armed with the D-10S 100 mm anti-tank gun in a casemate superstructure. It was used extens ...

* Type 59 * Type 63 * M113 APC * M557 command vehicle * M125 81mm mortar carrier *

K200 KIFV The K200 KIFV ("Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicle") is a South Korean armored personnel carrier designed by the Agency for Defense Development through Project Toad (두꺼비 사업) to replace older armored personnel carriers, such as the M113. I ...

* LVTP-7 Artillery and Anti-Aircraft Guns: * ZiS-3 76mm divisional gun * M1938 120mm mortar * M101 105mm howitzer * M107 175mm self-propelled gun * M110 8 inch howitzer *

M114 155 mm howitzer The 155 mm Howitzer M114 is a towed howitzer developed and used by the United States Army. It was first produced in 1941 as a medium artillery piece under the designation of 155 mm Howitzer M1. It saw service with the US Army during World W ...

* M1937 152mm howitzer-gun * 90mm anti-aircraft gun * 90mm T8 anti-tank gun *

ZPU-4 The ZPU (, meaning "anti-aircraft machine gun mount") is a family of towed anti-aircraft guns based on the Soviet 14.5×114mm KPV heavy machine gun. It entered service with the Soviet Union in 1949 and is used by over 50 countries worldwide. ...

M167 VADS The M167 Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS) is a towed, short-range United States Army anti-aircraft gun designed to protect forward area combat elements and rear area critical assets. It was also used to protect U.S. Air Force warplane airfields an ...

Oerlikon 20 mm cannon The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models empl ...

on naval single and dual mounts *

Bofors 40 mm Bofors 40 mm gun is a name or designation given to models of 40 mm calibre automatic anti-aircraft guns designed and developed by the Swedish company Bofors: * Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/43 - developed in the 1930s with market entry in 1934, wid ...

on naval quad and mounts * 5-inch gun in single mount from an ex-ROK Navy

Fletcher-class destroyer The ''Fletcher'' class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. The class was designed in 1939, as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types of the and classes. Some went on to serve ...

Missiles: *

MIM-14 Nike Hercules The Nike Hercules, initially designated SAM-A-25 and later MIM-14, was a surface-to-air missile (SAM) used by U.S. and NATO armed forces for medium- and high-altitude long-range air defense. It was normally armed with the W31 nuclear warhead, but ...

MIM-23 Hawk The Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK ("Homing All the Way Killer") is an American medium-range surface-to-air missile. It was designed to be a much more mobile counterpart to the MIM-14 Nike Hercules, trading off range and altitude capability for a much sm ...

Scud missile A Scud missile is one of a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was exported widely to both Second and Third World countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name attached to the m ...

MGM-52 Lance The MGM-52 Lance was a mobile field artillery tactical surface-to-surface missile (tactical ballistic missile) system used to provide both W70, nuclear and conventional fire support to the United States Army. The missile's warhead was developed ...

Vessels: *

Chamsuri-class patrol boat The Chamsuri class () (also known as the "Sea Dolphin" and "Wildcat" types) are patrol boats originally constructed for and operated by the Republic of Korea Navy. They first entered service in 1979, and they have since seen service with five oth ...

painted and given faux battle damage to resemble PKM-357, a

patrol boat sunk during the

Second Battle of Yeonpyeong The Battle of Yeongpyeong (or Second Battle of Yeonpyeong) () was a confrontation at sea between North Korean and South Korean patrol boats along a disputed maritime boundary near Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea in 2002. This followed a simi ...

* North Korean Submersible Infiltration Landing Craft (SILC) captured near Dadawpo, Busan on 3 December 1983 *

Hurricane Aircat The Hurricane Aircat was an airboat used as a riverine patrol boat by the US Army and South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) during the Vietnam War. It was used to conduct various counterinsurgency (COIN) and patrol missions in riverine and marshy areas w ...

airboat An airboat (also known as a planeboat, swamp boat, bayou boat, or fanboat) is a flat-bottomed watercraft propelled by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. It is commonly used for fishing, hunting, r ...

used by ROK special forces during the Vietnam War

References

External links

Pictures of the War Memorial of Korea

The War Memorial's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:War Memorial Of Korea Buildings and structures in Yongsan District Aerospace museums in South Korea Military monuments and memorials Military and war museums in South Korea Monuments and memorials in South Korea Museums in Seoul Tourist attractions in Seoul Korean War memorials and cemeteries Korean War museums Ministry of National Defense (South Korea) Military history of Seoul