Korean War memorial

Here is a famous statue at the Korean War Memorial. A South Korean soldier embraces a North Korean soldier (depicted as smaller and weaker) as brothers, while the land splits beneath them, depicting the split between N. and S. Korea.



So yes, this morning I went to the Korean War Memorial in Seoul. It made a big impression on me - I found myself incredibly moved by the experience. We've been talking a lot about the danger of forgetting about atrocities in our world by future generations. For example, some of the older participants on this trip were worrying about when the WWII generation dies, will younger generations make similar mistakes? Well, this museum is a big step in the direction of not forgetting past wars. It really pays homage to the gravity, trauma, and sacrifice of wars while uplifting peaceful relations as the answer.

The first thing you see upon entering are these sculptures. Two are sculptures of Korean soldiers, and behind them all the people they are protecting (young children, invalids, everyday folk). There is this sense of momentum in these statues, like they are playing tug of war. They are quite emotional to look at.






Then, in the center is this huge pillar, which is split down the middle. I think it represents North and South Korea. On the sides of these pillars is a carving of "the masses" raising their arms, in protest of injustice and/or in solidarity for South Korea.





Behind these statues, the entrance to the memorial looks like this, with all of the United Nations flags flying out front, and a huge plaza of concrete.



There was a display of children's artwork about war in Korea and the split between North and South Korea. I really enjoyed this exhibit. Do you recognize the two soldiers from the first picture?



The water from the vase at the grave transforms into a vision of a city (?). I still think it is pretty:



I like how the soldiers are coming out of a lotus flower here, though I'm not sure what it means. Is it about reunification?