Korean War Museum

Nearly 61 years ago there was a war in Korea. The newly liberated (from Japan) and divided (by the Soviets and Americans) Korean Peninsula was thrown into another war as the Communist North crossed over the 38th parallel in an attempt to surprise and overtake unprepared South. A few years, a few million lives, and a few destructive power shifts (that literally swept up and down the peninsula, destroying most everything along the way) later, an armistice was reached and the firing stopped.

It's no secret that hostilities have never faded, but what fewer realize is that the Korean War never ended. No resolution was reached. And, most importantly, no peace treaty was ever signed.

After being here almost a year, I finally made the time to go to the Korean Warm Museum. 

The museum not only covered the Korean War, but every war that Korea has been involved in from the ancient to the present. The massive museum has four floors, each covering a different aspect of battle in the Koreas. The first floor had information on the wars of the past centuries. This led me to the conclusion that Korea has fought with every neighboring Asian country at some point in history. The second floor showcased military equipment and other recent war artifacts. 

The third and fourth floor are what I found the most interesting (and if you are ever in a rush, I would recommend only visiting those floors). This covers more recent wars, including the Korean war and the Vietnam war. It's interesting, informative, and has lots of dioramas to walk through! It certainly made me think, especially because this war is probably lived through by some people who visit the museum. On the top floor they get so recent as to include North Korean attacks on South Korea in the last 10 years (Though they haven't added the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in December 2010 yet)

Overall it was a fascinating museum to visit, and highly recommended for anyone who hasn't gone yet!

How to get there: Samgakji Station Exit 12