War Memorial of Korea, Seoul (must see)

The War Memorial of Korea opened in 1994 on the former site of the army headquarters to exhibit and memorialize the military history of Korea. It was built for the purpose of preventing war through lessons from the Korean War and for the hoped-for peaceful reunification of North and South Korea.

13,000 items are displayed in six halls under different themes: Memorial Hall, War History, Korean War, Expeditionary Forces, ROK Armed Forces, and Large Equipment, plus the outside exhibition area. There are weapons and equipment from prehistoric times to the modern period as well as paintings of battlefields and sculptures of notable warriors and of An Jung-geun, who assassinated a former Resident-General in Manchuria in 1909. About 100 large weapons are displayed in the outside exhibition area on the lawns around the building.

Why You Should Visit:
The main attraction here is the tanks & planes exhibit just outside the entrance – great for kids and enthusiastic adults, as it lets you climb up on top of a few of them, take photos in front of them, and marvel at just how huge these things look like close up. There's an overwhelming amount of information inside the memorial itself, but it's all very well laid out and easy to understand.

Tip:
Make full use of the free lockers opposite the information counter so you don't need to carry any bags or jackets and be sure to take the English brochure at the counter which has a map and description of the displays.