2024 SUMMER Vol.73

The story of the UN forces’ participation in the Korean War is very famous. However, we often miss its historical significance. Still, there have been countless examples of alliances throughout human history. But it is not easy to find situations in which numerous countries with diverse interests came together in the name of an international organization to form a single army and fought at great sacrifice. What does the participation of the UN forces in the Korean War mean to us today

Meaning of the participation of the UN forces in the Korean War

We often associate the U.S. military with the UN forces. Recently, the participation of Turkiye, a ‘brother country,’ has also become very popular. However, there are many other cases that we are not familiar with. Combat units from 16 countries included the British army, which sent the largest number of combat troops after the United States, made many sacrifices, including the dedicated defensive battle of the Gloucestershire Regiment at the Imjin River. The French army was remembered for its courageous performance in the Battle of Chipyong-ni, while the Dutch army desperately resisted the Battle of Hoengseong and covered the withdrawal of the Korean army. The Canadian and Australian armies, on the other hand, thwarted the Chinese in the April offensive in the Battle of Gapyeong, each leaving their mark in history as heroes in this war.

Furthermore, many countries participated in the Korean War in various ways. Six countries provided medical support to the Republic of Korea, and 41 countries provided material support to the Republic of Korea (38 countries provided material support, and 3 countries expressed their intention to provide material support). Among these, many countries have not yet overcome the damage due to World War II, and others achieved independence from being colonies. Despite difficult circumstances, these countries have formed a union that is unprecedented in history

Since each country had to consider its own interests as its top priority, it should have weighed its own interests before deciding to participate in the UN forces. Although Britain had no direct interests in Korea, it needed to maintain and strengthen its ‘special relationship’ with the United States during the post-World War II recovery. The situation was similar in other Commonwealth countries such as Australia and New Zealand, and European countries whose territories were occupied during World War II, including France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Greece and Turkmenistan, representing the Mediterranean region, strongly felt the pressure of the Soviet Union in the newly formed structure of the Cold War, and sought to strengthen their solidarity with the Free World led by the United States. Moreover, these two countries were traditional rivals, and the competitive spirit of not being able to hand over the initiative to the other country also influenced their decision to join the war.

However, the cold and selfish logic of national interest alone cannot explain each country's motivation to participate in the war as part of the UN forces. Although Britain considered its relationship with the United States important, it was not easy for them to send many combat troops in a devastated domestic situation after the war, and to ask its soldiers, who had already experienced world war, to risk their lives for a country like Korea, which most of them had never heard of. Moreover, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, which participated in the war to provide medical support, pursued independent diplomacy matters during the Cold War, keeping a certain distance from First World countries led by the United States. These countries participated as part of the UN forces because they were invaded by the Axis powers during World War II, and became newly independent after the war. They sympathized with the situation of the newly independent Republic of Korea, which was on the verge of an unjustified preemptive attack and military occupation by North Korea. National interest and altruistic actions based on humanism can sometimes coexist.

There is also a more important reason. The act of invading another country itself is not a very old phenomenon historically. Rather, throughout most of human history, powerful countries would wage wars of conquest. This can be seen from the fact that there are few cases where Alexander the Great of Macedon or Napoleon of France are criticized simply for invading other countries. Through the devastation of the World War, a global consensus that such a war should no longer be repeated gradually formed. This idea was a collective security system based on international organizations. But the League of Nations, which was formed after World War I, was completely helpless in the face of Nazi Germany's annexation and invasion of neighboring countries because there was no coercive force. The United Nations, which was established based on those lessons, sought to avoid repeating the failure of the League of Nations. The UN forces' participation in the Korean War was a product of their efforts to preserve international peace without forgetting the lessons of this bloodshed. The Korean War was the first and last time the UN stepped forward to punish a war of aggression by force, and with this, the UN proved its value. As a result, even with numerous limitations, the UN still exists and exerts its influence without following the fate of the League of Nations.

UN Forces, the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces, and the Republic of Korea after the war

The UN forces did not disappear even after the Korean War ended with an armistice. The future of South Korea remained uncertain. To prevent a situation in which unresolved problems after the end of World War I eventually led to World War II, a mechanism was required to ensure the stable survival of the Republic of Korea. Therefore, the UN Command still exists, and is currently comprised of a total of 17 countries. The US Forces Korea (CDR USFK) also served as commander, and, in recent years, generals from Commonwealth countries have often served as deputy commanders. These countries have an obligation to mobilize troops and materials to participate in the Korean Peninsula crisis, just as they did during the Korean War. There is probably no other multinational coalition in history that has been maintained for this long. This shows the great historical significance of the participation of the UN forces and the symbolism of the survival of the Republic of Korea.

The UN Command exists to strictly guarantee the security of the Republic of Korea, while the United Nations Peacekeeping Force, which we often hear about through the media, is a separate organization with a completely different nature. The main mission of the UN peacekeeping forces is to maintain security and protect civilians from a neutral position in conflict areas. Korea is also actively participating in peacekeeping activities, including the United Nations Operation in Somalia I (1993-1994), peacekeeping missions in Western Sahara (1994-2006), Angola (1995-1996), and East Timor (1999-2003), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (2007-), and the Support Project for Reconstruction in Haiti (2010-2012) and South Sudan (2013-). There is much criticism that the UN's peacekeeping activities are not effective under the harsh international order, or are not achieving significant results in resolving disputes. This is a task that members of the UN must resolve through more intense deliberation in the future. However, the activities of the UN peacekeeping forces cannot be seen as meaningless. Multinational peacekeeping forces dispatched with the authority of an international organization are a burden to the parties to the conflict just by their presence, and they can at least be expected to alleviate the intensity of the conflict. This authority would have been difficult to consider if it were not for the dispatch of troops to the Korean War. Additionally, it is significant that our country, which benefited from the participation of the UN forces during the Korean War, has contributed actively to UN peacekeeping operations.

The participation of the UN forces in the Korean War was the beginning of an unprecedented international effort and cooperation in human history to make the world a little safer after the devastation of World War II. It would not be an exaggeration to say that we exist today because of these efforts. Unfortunately, in recent years, the international community appears to be returning to the era of war, as if all its efforts were in vain. In this contemporary situation, we all need to think about the international role of the Republic of Korea, which survived with the help of the UN forces and rose to the ranks of a developed country.

The experience hall on the 4th floor of the museum, which has been in operation since 2021, was renamed ‘Interactive Gallery’ after it was refurbished. The reorganization of the Children's Museum, which is located on the first floor, was promoted after it was integrated with the experience center for a variety of experiences in a larger space.

In this program, the contents of the experiential exhibition for infants and children were strengthened while maintaining the purpose of the existing exhibition, which was to understand the experiences of different generations and information on the period through 10 virtual characters in modern history. An information desk and experience card issuance corner will allow visitors to approach the experiential exhibition in a friendly way and participate in many ways, as well as a newly established <Job Searching> and <Rest Area> corner for infants and children. Corners including <The Year I Turned 20>, <Yesterday's Table>, <Health Is Best>, <Emergency Call>, <Photo Booth (Life Four Cuts)>, and <Lalala>, which drew high interest from visitors, were maintained.

Upon arriving at the 4th floor, 10 virtual characters will greet you on the screen on the hallway wall. By following the characters, you will arrive at the entrance to ʻInteractive Gallery.’ After checking the information on the characters of the Liberation Generation, Baby Boomer Generation, 86 Generation, IMF Generation, and Millennial Generation, you will be issued an experience card for the character you want to experience. If you find it difficult to choose, you can play a balance game to find out who is from a generation with which you share similar sympathies.

The <The Year I Turned 20> section features events that occurred when people from each generation turned 20 in the form of a newspaper scrapbook. The events that occur as one becomes an adult will remain as long-lasting memories in each person's life. In the <Walking Square Together> section, you can participate in major aspects of modern history that is easily accessible to people of any generation. This corner consists of a space where children can experience modern history with their bodies by adding experiences such as 'Raise your voice', 'Dance', 'Look', 'Listen to the Story', and 'Cheer'. In the last corner, the popular <Photo Booth (Life Four Cuts)> was maintained so that visitors could take pictures with funny expressions on major events of each generation, and keep them as souvenirs.

Moreover, the existing <Building Qualifications> section was reorganized into the <Job Search> section, tailored to the eye level of infants and children. In this corner, you can learn about popular occupations by era, occupations that have disappeared, and occupations that reflect the times. You can take pictures, and color them with characters for each occupation. Likewise, a resting area for children and family visitors was secured to create a space where various generations can be together.

This ʻInteractive Gallery’ has been reorganized as an exhibition where children and adults can experience and discuss modern history together. We hope that it will become a space for all generations to experience modern history, including children, parents, grandfathers, and grandmothers, while gaining a deeper understanding and empathy through the experiences of various generations.

War destroys human material civilization and survival environments. But as life builds up again on top of the wounds of war, the traces of devastation gradually fade. Nevertheless, the tragedy and pain of war are passed on to future generations through related ʻrelics’ and ʻspaces’, and through ʻmonuments’ and ʻart’ called ʻDifficult Heritage’ or ʻNegative Heritage’.

A legend erected as a monument
<Battle of Thermopylae>, Greco-Persian Wars

War, which is characterized by destruction, makes it difficult to find traces as time passes. Moreover, in field battles occurring outside castles or cities, it is often difficult to even pinpoint their exact location. Thermopylae is a strategic point located on the eastern coast of Greece, and was the site of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. After losing the Battle of Marathon, Persia broke a 10-year truce, and invaded mainland Greece for the second time when Xerxes ascended the throne. Leonidas, the king of Sparta, fought a three-day defensive battle in the Thermopylae Gorge with about 7,000 soldiers, including 300 of the most elite Spartan troops, inflicting heavy damage on the Persian army. This story became a legend about the bravery of Sparta, and their sacrifice 2,500 years ago is commemorated through a statue of King Leonidas standing high on a long spear along the road passing through Thermopylae.

Values and beliefs left behind in speeches
<Battle of Gettysburg>, American Civil War

Gettysburg is a small town in Pennsylvania, north of Washington, DC. When Abraham Lincoln, who strongly opposed slavery, was inaugurated as the 16th president of the United States in March 1861, the southern states of the United States, which supported slavery, established the Confederate States of America (CSA), and declared their withdrawal from the United States (Northern Confederation, US). When President Lincoln regarded their declaration as treason against the United States, the Confederate army preemptively launched its attack, ushering in the Civil War, which lasted for four years. When the Northern Army won the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place for three days from July 1, 1863, the tide of the war turned toward the North. Four months later, a dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery was held in Gettysburg for the 3,500 fallen soldiers, and President Lincoln's short dedication speech was called the 'Gettysburg Address', explaining in history what they fought for. About two years later, the Civil War ended with a Union victory, and slavery was abolished throughout the United States. Currently, the national cemetery and battlefield are designated as <Gettysburg National Military Park>, and are open to the public.

Death blooming with flowers
<The Battle of Ypres>, Belgium, World War I

Ypres is a small city in the western Flanders region of Belgium. When World War I began in 1914, Germany attempted to encircle France through Belgium, which was a neutral country at the time. Ypres, located near the Belgian-French border, became a battleground between the German Empire and the Allies. In the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915, more than 3,000 Canadian soldiers, a member of the Allied forces, were killed in one day. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian Army surgeon, saw poppies blooming among the bodies of fallen soldiers in the fields of Ypres, and wrote the poem, 'In Flanders fields', capturing the landscape and his own feelings at the time. As this poem became famous, the poppy was designated as a flower to commemorate the fallen in World War I in Commonwealth countries. Poppies were worn on clothes on Remembrance Day, the anniversary of the end of World War I, and badges in the shape of poppies were worn on clothes on Remembrance Day (November 11). In Korea, the ‘International Memorial Day for UN Korean War Veterans’ ceremony is held every year on November 11 at 11 o’clock at <UN Memorial Park> in Busan. Representatives from Commonwealth countries attend this event wearing poppies.

A holocaust scene where time has stopped
<Auschwitz Concentration Camp>, Poland, World War II

Oświęcim is a small city located in southern Poland, better known by its German name, Auschwitz. In September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, which led to World War II, the largest and most damaging event in human history. Later, Poland was divided and ruled by Germany and the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany annexed western Poland into German territory, dividing the remaining area into five dependencies. In 1940, Nazi Germany converted Polish military barracks in Kraków to build a concentration camp, and by the end of the war, three Auschwitz camps had been built. In addition to Jews and prisoners of war, those executed in these camps included political prisoners, the disabled, homosexuals, and Gypsies (Roma). It is estimated that about 1.5 million people were murdered here [UNESCO data]. The largest of these, the second concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, reminding people of the tragedy and preventing them from repeating the mistakes of the past.

On May 29th, I visited the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, and participated in the museum camp. This is the first time that I have participated in an event at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in nine years of living in Korea. Since the training was held at a history museum, I thought it would be history-related training or workshops, but I was surprised to see that the training was conducted under a unique topic, ‘Capturing the night scenery of the city – taking night view photos with a smartphone.’ It is important for modern people to record important moments in their daily lives by taking pictures with their smartphones. Photography enriches our lives as a means of social connection in modern society, and helps us understand the world around us.

Take photos of the night view with a smartphone from the rooftop of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History

After listening to the lecture in the classroom, I took pictures of the night view with my smartphone as the sun was setting on the rooftop of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. With this photography class, I was able to take great photos that I will remember for a long time.

Standing on the rooftop of the museum, I was amazed by the sight of the history and present-day Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gwanghwamun Square unfolding in front of me, as well as the wonderful scenery of Baekaksan. I passionately took pictures to capture that moment. The clicking sound of a smartphone camera shutter button echoed softly into the evening air.

I stayed on the rooftop as the sun set, and admired the beauty of the world. I took a picture of the moment the beautiful star began to twinkle overhead, and engraved that moment in my heart forever.

Gwanghwamun Square

Gwanghwamun Square is where Korea’s historical and cultural heritage and modern buildings are in harmony. There is Gyeongbokgung Palace, a palace from the Joseon Dynasty, and statues of King Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the most highly revered figures by Koreans. Furthermore, this place is surrounded by various cultural institutions, including the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History and Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, allowing visitors to enjoy a variety of cultural experiences.

The tourist attraction I visited the most while living in Korea is Gwanghwamun Square. It is also the first place I recommend to my acquaintances from overseas. Gwanghwamun Square reminds me of the Chairing Cross tourist site in Lahore, and the Constitution Avenue tourist site in Islamabad in Pakistan. This is also famous in my home country, and is a favorite location for most Pakistanis.

Among Korean tourist destinations, I like Gwanghwamun Square the most as I can see Korea's history and modern society at the same time.

Digital leaflet for information on Gwanghwamun cultural institutions

There are many cultural institutions around Gwanghwamun Square, so the museum collected information on those institutions and produced a digital leaflet, ‘Guide to Gwanghwamun Cultural Institutions.’ It could be viewed instantly by using a smartphone. Moreover, it is produced in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish, so foreigners will be able to access comprehensive information on those institutions easily.

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History is holding a joint exhibition with the region for the first time this year. A joint exhibition with the region is different from existing traveling exhibitions held by other organizations. The purpose of this project is not to simply relocate the popular special exhibitions held at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, but to re-plan and present them according to the characteristics of each region. The goal of this exhibition, which will be held twice, is not only to provide citizens of each region with opportunities for diverse cultural experiences, but also to increase the understanding of the place where one lives and to foster pride. Furthermore, its goal is to spark the imagination for regional cultural development and competitiveness in accordance with the characteristics of modern history that seek to ask future-oriented questions.

Although the special exhibition on the Korean Wave and popular culture held at the Museum of Korean Contemporary History in the summer of 2023 was held for about a month and a half, it received plenty of attention and love, with an average of 1,597 visitors per day, attracting the largest number of visitors ever since its opening. The special exhibition looked at Korean popular culture and the Korean Wave within the global popular culture trend, and created a venue for generational empathy by bringing together the popular culture that everyone, regardless of age or gender, liked. Considering the long-standing epigram that the most local is the most global, viewing the exhibition on the global Korean Wave from a local perspective, especially from the perspective of Gwangju, which is known as a city of art and culture, will bring about new imagination from visitors.

Introduction on the exhibition

The Museum of Korean Contemporary History (Director Han Su) is holding a joint exhibition with the region, <The [ ] Gwangju Loved, and the Korean Wave>, from June 20th (Thursday) to August 18th (Sunday) in collaboration with the Gwangju History and Folk Museum. This special exhibition was held at the Museum of Korean Contemporary History in July 2023, and held its first traveling exhibition in Mungyeong in November of the same year, and will be newly reorganized and presented to the citizens of Gwangju again in 2024. This exhibition, which features the Korean Wave in the flow of world popular culture from the time of liberation to the present, and in the development of popular culture in Gwangju, will continue at the Ulsan Museum of Art in September this year.

Children's Day educational event, Gwanghwamun history walk, museum camp, and a special lecture on the Korean War The Museum of Korean Contemporary History conducted a variety of museum education programs in May and June, which are good months for outings. On May 5th, Children's Day, an event was held to celebrate Children's Day under the theme of ‘Children's Exploration of Modern and Contemporary History.’ A mission-type program to find three mysterious relics at the history museum and a modern and contemporary art experience were prepared for children to become familiar with modern and contemporary history. Glow-in-the-dark games and magic balloon shows were also held for the whole family to enjoy. The ‘Museum History Walk’ program, an adult education program that started in April, provided an opportunity to take an in-depth look at the Gwanghwamun area in terms of geography, architecture, literature, and history, and to conduct a field trip. It received a positive response.

As the first attempt at adult education, ‘Museum Camp’ was held for the MZ generation. ‘Museum Camp’ allows young visitors in their 20s and 30s to enjoy the museum space, and gain inspiration. Visitors were able to enjoy unique experiences at night in Gwanghwamun on the museum rooftop, such as taking pictures of the night view with their smartphones, rooftop busking (outdoor performance), and rooftop yoga. In June, a special lecture related to the Korean War was held to commemorate the month of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Special lectures were held on the topics of ‘The Beginning and Development of the Korean War’ by Dr. Yeong-jo Yang, and ‘Legacy of the Korean War – Armistice and Demilitarized Zone’ by Professor Hahn Monica.

On April 5, the Museum of Korean Contemporary History (Director Han Su) held the International Oral History Colloquium <Korean Public History and the Future of Oral History> in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean Oral History Association in the 6th floor classroom, and in collaboration with the Korean Oral History Association (Chairman Park Jun-gyu).

The lectures were held in the following order: ‘Oral history in the context of international public history’ by Thomas Cauvin, Associate Professor of Public History at the University of Luxembourg, ‘War history narration’ by Julianne Nyhan, professor at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, and ‘Oral history in the archive’ by Mark Wong, deputy director of the Oral History Center at the National Archives of Singapore. The discussion was participated by Ha Jeong-ok, curator of the Museum of Korean Contemporary History, Heo Young-ran, professor of history and culture at Ulsan University, and Han Bong-seok, professor of history at Pukyong National University. The group debate was moderated by Yoon Taek-rim, director of the Korean Oral History Research Center.

The Museum of Korean Contemporary History (Director Han Su) has released three new videos in <Moving Modern History: Vivid History>, a modern history video archive platform jointly created with the Korea Broadcasting Corporation (CEO Park Min, hereinafter referred to as KBS).

‘Joseon’s Sowing and Harvesting’ is a 13-minute color video. It vividly shows various aspects of everyday life, including rural scenes and women's education in Korea in the 1930s. ‘Land of Dawn’ is a 16-minute black and white video. The scene of the Pyongyang Bible Study Group, known as the ‘Jerusalem of the East,’ catches the eye. ‘Missionary Bruen’s Daegu Activities Report’ is a 32-minute color video. The video depicts the Koreans met by missionary Henry Thomas Bruen, who traveled throughout Daegu and Gyeongbuk under the Korean name, ‘Bu Hae-ri (傅海利)’. You can also see the daily lives of Koreans in the 1930s, including the missionaries who brought apples to Daegu, weddings, planting rice, and harvesting.

There are 295 additional documentary videos to be released in <Moving Modern History: Vivid History> in 2024. Major materials that will be released this year include 'Marilyn Monroe in Korea' produced by British Pathé, 'Funeral of King Sunjong' and 'Visit of Brussels by King Yeongchin and his wife' produced by Reuters, and materials produced by the Bureau of Public Information in Korea and the U.S. Information Service in Korea.

*You can find the ‘Moving Modern History’ menu at the top left of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History website.

<National Agricultural Museum, Kim Koo Museum & Library, the Syngman Rhee Institute> The Museum of Korean Contemporary History (Director Han Su) signed a business agreement for exchange, cooperation, and mutual development with cultural institutions related to modern and contemporary history. The main business agreement matters are as follows: 1) joint development and utilization of content, 2) conduct of research related to modern and contemporary history, 3) holding joint exhibitions, and 4) human exchange and joint establishment of domestic and international networks.

On April 3, a business agreement was signed with the National Agricultural Museum (Director Hwang Soo-cheol) for cooperation in the use and exhibition of materials related to modern and contemporary agricultural history, and development and use of content to spread the history and cultural values of modern and contemporary agriculture and rural areas. Subsequently, on May 23, a business agreement was signed with the Kim Koo Museum & Library (Director Kim Mi) to cooperate in holding joint academic conferences and joint exhibitions, and developing and utilizing content related to the provisional government and independence movement owned by the two institutions. An academic conference is scheduled to be jointly held in 2026 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Baekbeom Kim Koo. This conference will examine the various aspects of Kim Koo's life and independence movement, as well as his efforts to establish a single nation after liberation.

On June 14, a business agreement was signed with Syngman Rhee Institute (Director Yang Jun-mo). The Museum of Korean Contemporary History and the Syngman Rhee Institute will hold a public academic conference in 2025 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Korea's first President, Syngman Rhee. This academic conference will be an opportunity to continuously shed light on people who have had an important influence on the modern and contemporary history of the Republic of Korea. An academic conference is scheduled to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of An Jung-geun in December 2024, and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Kim Koo in 2026.