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Located in the heart of Seoul is Yongsan, the former site of military headquarters. The War Memorial of Korea is Korea’s one-and-only comprehensive museum, which introduces Korea’s 5,000-year strong history through one theme: “war.” The museum serves not only as an institution for learning, but also as a place to enjoy culture and relaxation.

The War Memorial of Korea has many halls and spaces showcasing the war between North and South Korea, starting from its cause to its development to its ceasefire. It also has zones for visitors to experience war-related programs. Group tours are especially designed to make the content easy to understand.

Here’s a list of our four recommended courses at the museum!

Educating pre-school & elementary school students

History Course for Children

This course is customized for children between the age of 4 to 10. It starts at Children’s Museum, and leads into the outdoor exhibition area showing war-related equipment, aircrafts, missiles, and then into the War History Room, introducing the war history from the prehistoric times through the Japanese colonial period. Children can have a better understanding of the history and heroes of wars in Korea, as well as experience the courage of Korean ancestors who made great efforts and sacrifices to liberate the country from foreign invasion. The content is made to be easy and fun through a decent program, which is available upon reservation.

Educating middle & high school students

History Course for Teens

This course is customized for middle and high school students, and offers tours throughout various exhibits on the history of war in Korea. The War History Room, displays the timeline of Korean history from the Prehistoric Period, Three Kingdoms Period, North-South States Period, the Goryeo Dynasty, the Joseon Dynasty, the Open-Port period, the Korean Empire, to the Japanese Colonial Period. Students can learn Korean history from the Prehistoric Period before man invented letters through the Japanese colonial rule in the 1910s, as well as stories about the Korean people who strongly resisted and create an independence movement against the brutality of the Japanese and obtained liberation by driven away the Japanese Imperialism. The Korean War Room displays the process of independence in the Korean peninsula and the Korean War. An archive about Kim Il-sung’s preparation for the Korean War can be found as well. The last stop is the Contingency Plan Room where students can learn about contingency plans and experience how to prepare in case of emergency.

Educating Korean families

History Course for Families

This course is customized for everyday Korean families and it allows them to walk through the Korean War. The Korean War broke out in the early morning of June 25, 1950, when soldiers of the North Korean’s Army poured past the 38th parallel, which was the frontier between the communist North Korea and the pro-democratic South Korea. To the older generation, this war is forever remembered as one of the most painful event in history. The room also includes exhibits on Korea’s great involvement through military dispatch in the Vietnam War, which want to remind us about the importance of peace. The ROK Armed Forces Room, past the symbolic sculpture of Koreans soldiers, is the area that show the history of Korean armed forces. Starting with the time line of the ROK Armed Forces, the room explains the creation of Korean military forces. The course offers a meaningful time for the whole family, who can learn that peace and prosperity, as they know of today, is the very result of effort and sacrifice made by earlier generations.

Educating foreign tourists

History Course for Foreigners

This course is customized for foreign people interested in Korean history and it starts with at the outdoor Peace Plaza. There is a monument commemorating the participation of different countries and includes commemorative words of gratitude to all the participating countries writing in the Korean language and the language of the corresponding country. It also honors the role of military soldiers and police officers killed in action during the Korean War. The Republic of Korea established its official governmenton August 15, 1948 in accordance to the ONU procedure. On September 9, 1948, Kim Il-sung of North Korea started a new nation under the name Democratic Popular Republic of Korea. From these events, two separate governments were born in the Korean peninsula.However, the former leader of North Korea started a civil war to unify the peninsula under one communist regime. The Korean War Room tells that stories in detail, from the process of national independence in the Korean peninsula to the preparations of war made by Kim Il-sung.