Recommend visiting the National Museum of Korea and the War Memorial of Korea together—they’re very close to each other. Just search on Naver Map (Chinese version) for directions.
🚇 The War Memorial of Korea is near Samgakji Station (Exit 11). Make sure to find the correct exit—I took the wrong one and ended up walking 10 minutes in the rain to reach the entrance.
I was particularly curious about the Korean War from a South Korean perspective, as it’s undoubtedly the most pivotal conflict in modern Korean history. The second floor is entirely dedicated to this war, with a well-organized exhibition that clearly outlines the outbreak, major battles, turning points, and outcome.
One surprising takeaway was the initial power imbalance: North Korea actually had superior military strength early on, even pushing all the way to Seoul in a major offensive. After the Battle of the Han River, South Korea struggled fiercely to reclaim the capital.
The section on China’s intervention was… interesting. The exhibit claims China’s success relied mainly on "human wave tactics" and night assaults, which feels overly simplistic. Let’s just say they haven’t fully grasped why they lost.
From the South Korean perspective, they don’t see this war as a defeat—but as a successful defense of their nation. The exhibit emphasizes: "Without the U.S., there would be no freedom in Korea today."