ASIA

by Kim Yeong Hwan, Coordinater

The Center for Peace Museum was set up in November 2003 in the wake of the late-1990’s apology movement for the massacre of civilians committed by the Korean forces during the Vietnam War. The “seed” was sown by two former “comfort women,” sex slaves for the defunct Japanese Imperial Military, who made donations in the hope that there would be no more victims of war. With the spirit of “pain, memory, solidarity,” the Center aims to remember all the wars in the world, and unite with war-victimized people.

The Center opened a 100-square-meter site named “space*peace” near Insadong, the well-known tourist spot in Seoul. In order to nurture peace-loving minds, photo and painting exhibitions have been held under such themes as Japanese aggression, the Iraq War, and South Korea’s diehard military culture stemming from the Korean War and the resulting division of the Korean land.

The Center has organized film screenings, lectures, concerts, and various other peace-related events. One of its activities is the four-year-old “Children’s Books on Peace” exhibition which has toured 42 children’s libraries, schools, and local cultural sites, displaying 135 titles of “children’s books on peace.” It also sponsors peace education training sessions for teachers, peace courses, invites essays from the public on “Barefoot Gen,” and supports second generation Korean A-bomb survivors as part of its anti-nuclear efforts.

South Korea has a war museum but not a peace museum. We do not intend to construct a grand building, but to develop a peaceful culture to overcome the “war/military culture” that permeates South Korean society. We intend to continue transmitting this message from our corner of Seoul.

Address: 99-1 Kyunji-Dong, Jongno-Gu, Seoul 110-170, South Korea
Phone: +82-(0)2-735-5811
Homepage: http://www.peacemuseum.or.kr
Days closed: Sundays, national holidays
Admission: Free

(Originally published on February 2, 2009)