The War Memorial of Korea

[nuuumannn]

Hi Guys, a look at the massive War Memorial of Korea during a visit to Seoul a few years ago. It's a huge facility and has a vast array of weaponry, including captured DPRK stuff. Obviously the focus is on the Korean War, but there's much more there of interest.

This sculpture reflects Korean attitudes toward the division between the two Koreas and is a Republic soldier embracing his DPRK brother. Both sides would love for reunification to happen, but on their terms, unfortunately...

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This is apparently the first indigenously built Korean aircraft, named the Buwalho. Can't find much else about it out there.

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KTX-Yeo-Myung prototype of the Korean Aerospace Industries KAI KT-1 trainer.

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A section of the outside display area, with a T.37 and F-5A up front.

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F-86D, note the rocket rack underneath.

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C-46D.

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C-119G.

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Ex-DPRK An-2 painted in Soviet markings.

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P-51D and C-123J with jet pods on its wingtips.

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F-86F with AIM-9 rails.

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Shenyang J-6 that was flown to South Korea by defecting Capt. Lee Ung-Pyeong in 1983.

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F-4C.

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Some heavy metal. I'm not going to attempt to name all the tanks and hardware as I'm not all that familiar with it.

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I do know this is a Sherman though...

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M46 (says so on the display board)

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I know what this is though, a Chinese Type 63 amphibious tank, a combination of a Russian PT-76 with a T-54 turret.

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BM-13 Katyusha, "Stalin's Organ".

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This is a DPRK infiltration vessel, designed to pass relatively unseen down the Han River that flows through Seoul and originates in the DPRK. Because of attempts by North Korea to send agents into Seoul, the river banks are festooned with barbed wire and defenses.

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This is typical of the defenses on the Han River banks.

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RoK river patrol craft.

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More to come from Seoul.

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[Airframes]

Great stuff Grant.
That first shot, of the Buwalho, reminds me very much of one of the Auster agricultural / cargo types, of which a limited number were built. Perhaps it was inspired by one of those ?

 

[nuuumannn]

Great stuff Grant.
That first shot, of the Buwalho, reminds me very much of one of the Auster agricultural / cargo types, of which a limited number were built. Perhaps it was inspired by one of those ?

Possibly, I know nowt about the aircraft and there appears to be little out there on it. It looks a bit like a basic version of an Edgar Percival EP.9 Prospector.

 

[Graeme]

Perhaps it was inspired by one of those ?

Or a Chinese influence...

 

[special ed]

A little similar to the Auster Air Ambulance.

 

[nuuumannn]

more from the War Museum of Korea, an RoK main battle tank, the Rotem (Hyundai) K1A1.

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M-113 armoured personnel carrier front.

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M-113 rear view.

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Interior.

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Driver's position.

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top gunner/observer's seat.

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Hawk SAMs on a concrete display mount, not their actual triple launchers.

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Reproduction of a DPRK SCUD-B. Pictures of this very missile routinely appear accompanying news articles by various outlets whenever North Korea conducts live missile drills.

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This is a Hyunmoo-1 short-range (180km) surface-to-surface missile. Modelled off the Nike Hercules SAM built in Korea by NHK, or Nike Hercules Korea, it is the RoK's first ballistic missile.

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NHK Nike Hercules SAM on its launcher.

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Lance tactical nuclear missile, although the RoK based ones were conventional only, nuke warheads were stored in Guam for rushing to Korea if needed, apparently.

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Quad 20mm Oerlikon naval mount.

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5-inch naval gun turret from RoK navy Fletcher Class destroyer Chung Mu, formerly USS Erben (history here USS Erben (DD-631) - Wikipedia)

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S-2A.

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T-34.

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Another Sherman.

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LVTP-7.

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Bushmaster.

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More to come from Korea later...

 

[nuuumannn]

Or a Chinese influence...

Not entirely convinced in South Korea, the RoK hasn't forgiven the Chinese for invading during the Korean War, but looks very similar. The Chinese aircraft was the Yan'an-1, which copied the basic design from the Yak-12 light aircraft. Looks like the design features translated across various types and based on the Buwalho's basic look it looks like its based on a Piper Cub, of which the RoK operated.

 

[nuuumannn]

Some more airframes before we head inside...

T-28A.

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Grubby T-33.

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Ubiquitous Bird Dog.

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A nice Beaver.

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The business end of an AH-1J.

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T-41, or the unassuming and extraordinarily prolific C172 Skyhawk.

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HH-19B.

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H-5H.

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UH-1B.

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OH-13H.

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This particular Alouette III bears the distinction of sinking a DPRK infiltration vessel with AS.11 missiles in 1983 and this is commemorated on the fuselage entrance door by a fading marking.

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This is a Chamsuri Class patrol boat decorated to resemble PKM 357, which was sunk during the naval engagement between the RoK Navy and the DPRK Navy near the island of Yeonpyeong in 2002.

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Sea Vulcan 20mm turret.

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M48.

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SU-100.

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F-5A.

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T-37C.

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And finally, one of only three complete B-52s in museums outside of the USA, the others being at Duxford in the UK and in Darwin, Australia.

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Next, we go indoors...

 

[Gnomey]

Nice shots!

 

[special ed]

The B-52 at Seoul is B-52D-65-BO 55-0105 painted as 501512 according to Baugher's files.

 

[nuuumannn]

At the entrance to the memorial building are these stands commemorating the nations that contributed to the Korean War as a part of the UN response to the invasion of the south. In this part of the world at least, the United Nations is a force for good.

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The main entrance. The facility is on the site of the former army headquarters and is one of the largest memorials of its kind in the world.

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The predominant theme of the facility is the Korean War, with a wide variety of items on display. Just don't go up!

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I couldn't begin to caption all of these things as I don't know much about artillery pieces, but they are intriguing things to look at. 37mm anti-aircraft gun.

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This full-scale mock-up of a Piper Cub 'bomber' echoes RoK usage of the type, although this one's prop is on backwards.

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3-inch naval gun from the RoK Navy's first combat-capable warship, the PC Class Submarine Chaser Baekdusan, formerly the USS PC-823. Information on The Battle of Korea Strait with a picture of the Baekdusan. Battle of Korea Strait - Wikipedia

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M3 half-track.

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RoK flag captured and inscribed by Chinese troops.

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Time Magazine's Man of the Year, 1950, Syngman Rhee. The article: Father of His Country?

The cover.

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Chinese troop ration bag.

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Chinese helmet.

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A memorial to a lost soldier recreated as a display.

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Model of Patrol Frigate Du Man, ex-Tacoma Class USS Muskogee.

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A poignant display of laying an Australian soldier to rest.

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Model of the Dutch navy destroyer HNLMS Van Galen made by one of its crew members, Gunner H. P. Repping. Formerly the British destroyer HMS Noble.

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Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery. Received for action during the Battle of Kapyong: Battle of Kapyong - Wikipedia

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L-5G.

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Another Bird Dog.

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OH-23G.

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A traditional Korean Buk drum, this is a Geongo, or huge barrel drum.

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More from the War Memorial to come...

 

[Capt. Vick]

Great stuff! Thanks for posting!

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots Grant!

 

[nuuumannn]

Thank you all again. Beginning with a nautical theme, this is a scale reproduction of a Geobukseon, or a Korean turtle ship as it has been named in English; regarded as the first armoured warship type. More detailed information here: Turtle ship - Wikipedia

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A model of the Destroyer Escort Kyong Ki, formerly the Cannon Class USS Muir.

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The RoK navy is one of the most technologically advanced in the East Asia region and these are some models of projected warships designed by Korean shipbuilding firms. This is an offshore patrol vessel that resembles the guided-missile frigates of the Incheon Class built by Hyundai, but with differences in weaponry layout.

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This vessel resembles the Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin Class destroyer design built by Hyundai.

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This is a Gwanggaeto the Great Class destroyer developed by Daewoo.

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Some DPRK hardware in a special enclosure in the building. This is a Soviet ZIL ZIS-110 limousine once used by former DPRK leader Kim Il Sung.

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DPRK MiG-15 UTI. These are still in service with the DPRK air force as fast jet trainers.

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The Soviet Jeep no doubt.

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T-34.

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Yak-18.

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14.5 mm Soviet anti-aircraft quad mounting.

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Facing off against these things is a lone RoKAF AT-6G.

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We look at select objects from Korea's pre-Japanese invasion history. Some very early firearms.

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Cast artillery pieces.

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This is a model of the Korean Imperial Ship Guangjae, Gwangje-ho in the caption, it was an armed merchant ship in the service of the pre-
Japanese annexed Imperial Korea. Mauser pistol above it.

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This is the banner of the Korean Independence Army that acted in rebellion against Japanese rule of the Korean peninsula.

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And finally a model of the ancient walled-city of Seoul.

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That's it from the great War Memorial of Korea. More images here:

War Memorial of Korea

Yongsan-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 2017

www.flickr.com

Thanks for looking.

 

[SaparotRob]

Great pictures. Those ships must be really impressive if the models are anything to go by. How did they score the car?

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Nice shots Grant!

 

[nuuumannn]

How did they score the car?

Dunno off hand, looking into it. The two Koreas have had moments where they have enjoyed co-operation largely through the north requesting aid from the south; the Sunshine Policy Sunshine Policy - Wikipedia exemplarising the south's approach toward the north. This could have led to the exchange of gifts, but I'm hypothesising. The north and south had a good rapport following the reclusive Kim Jong Ill's request for aid during a famine the country was suffering, which was supported by the White House and a period of relative stability and almost peaceful co-existence (but not quite), but a new regime in the White House suddenly declared the DPRK as one of the "Axis of Evil", which sent relations between the DPRK and its neighbours into freefall.