War Memorial of Korea

The 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. It was built for the purpose of preventing war through lessons from the Korean War and for the hoped for peaceful reunification 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.[1]

The War Memorial of Korea
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationJeonjaeng ginyeomgwan
McCune–ReischauerChŏnjaeng kinyŏmgwan
EstablishedDecember 1993 (1993-12)
LocationItaewon-ro, Yongsan-dong, Seoul, South Korea
TypeWar memorial and museum
Collection size13,000 items
20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft)
DirectorSun Young-Jae
WebsiteThe War Memorial of Korea

History
Outdoor exhibition area

The War Memorial was built to commemorate the military veterans 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.

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 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
Entrance of the war memorial and Statue of Brothers
Statue of Brothers

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.

Public transportation

Samgakji Station exit 12

Samgakji Station exit 12

Exhibition areas
An exhibition hall

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.

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 Soldiers and Policemen killed in the Armed Forces Activation, Korean War, Vietnam War and Counter Infiltration Operation and the United Nations Forces Soldiers killed in the Korean War.

Indoor displays

Objects on display inside include:

Outdoor display area

Items on display include:

Fixed-wing aircraft:

  • de Havilland Canada U-6A Beaver 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.[2]
  • 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, Texas until being mothballed in April 1956.It returned to service with the 1st Air Commando Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida in 1963. It was finally transferred to the ROKAF as part of the Cold War-era Military Assistance Program on September 25, 1968.[3]
  • 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, Alaska, servicing Alaskan Air Command 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.[4]
  • 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 in 1970. It was later donated to the War Memorial of Korea and repainted with USAF markings.
  • Boeing B-52D Stratofortress 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.[5]
  • 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 Korean War, marked as aircraft "K-205".[6]
  • North American F-86F-30-NA Sabre 52-4308. The aircraft flew with the 3200th Proof Test Group at Eglin AFB, Florida beginning in 1953. It was then transferred to ROKAF in 1955.[7]
  • North American F-86D-35-NA Sabre 51-8502. This aircraft served with the USAF’s Air Defense Command before being transferred to the ROKAF.[8]
  • 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.[9] It is currently painted with the twin tiger head insignia applied to all ROKAF F-5s.[10]
  • McDonnell Douglas F-4C-23-MC Phantom II 64-0766. This aircraft served with the USAF’s 12th Tactical Fighter Wing in the Vietnam War 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.[11]

Helicopters

  • Bell AH-1J “International Cobra” 29066. This helicopter was one of eight TOW-capable AH-1J helicopters sold to the ROK Army in 1978.[13]
  • 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 Vietnam War before being transferred to the South Korean air force.[14]
  • 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.[15]
  • 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.[16]
  • Aerospatiale SA319B Alouette III 770301. This helicopter formerly served with the ROK Navy. 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.
  • Bell OH-13H Sioux

Armored Vehicles:

Artillery and Anti-Aircraft Guns:

Missiles:

Vessels:

See also

References
  1. CNN Go Seoul's best museums Archived 2012-09-28 at the Wayback Machine 27 October 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-04
  2. Beaver Tails
  3. AMARC Experience - TC-46D "44-78541" Retrieved 2018-06-13
  4. AMARC Experience - Fairchild C-123J Provider "56-4389" Retrieved 2018-06-14
  5. Warbirds Resource Group - "Grumman S2F (S-2) Tracker" Retrieved 2018-06-13
  6. Airframe Dossier Retrieved 2018-06-14
  7. Warbirds Resource Group - "North American F-86A, E, F, H Sabre day-fighter series" Retrieved 2018-06-13
  8. "North American F-86D/K/L Sabre". Forgotten Jets. Warbirds Resource Group. 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  9. Warbirds Resource Group - "Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter" Retrieved 2018-06-13
  10. The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast Page - "Korean Air Force Units"
  11. "McDonell F-4 Phantom II". Forgotten Jets. Warbirds Resource Group. 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  12. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1972.html
  13. Air Vectors - "Second-Generation Cobras"
  14. "Seawolf Aircraft". American Aviation Historical Society Journal, Winter, 1988
  15. Pacific Wrecks - "Sikorsky H-5 (R-5, S-51, HO2S-1, HO3S-1"
  16. Retrieved 2018-06-14

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