War Memorial & Museum

Lonely Planet review

This huge museum documents the history of warfare in Korea and has an especially good section on the Korean War. It takes at least three hours to look round everything so arrive well before closing. Only snacks are available. Trying to cover this museum and the National Museum of Korea in one day is too exhausting.

Downstairs are paintings and panorama displays illustrating many fierce battles fought against invading Mongol, Japanese and Chinese armies which focus on Korean victories. Many items are only vaguely dated, but there is a replica of one of Admiral Sun-sin's famous turtle warships.

Upstairs, black-and-white documentary film footage, photos, maps and artefacts give an insight into the dramatic events of the Korean War (1950-53). The surprise 04:00 attack from the North (spearheaded by 240 Russian-made tanks), the build-up of UN (mainly American) forces in Busan, the daring amphibious landing at Incheon, the sweep north followed by the surprise Chinese attack all took place in 1950. It was followed by fiercely fought but fruitless battles, and a two-year stalemate that was finally ended by an armistice in 1953. On the left of the museum entrance are the names of UN soldiers killed during the war .