Peace Monuments in Both Koreas (South & North)

Right click image to enlarge.

1911 - China-Korea Friendship Bridge, Yalu River, between Dandong, Liaoning (China) & Sinuiju (North Korea). Left image from China. Right image from North Korea. Second bridge built in 1943. Korean end of the original (1911) bridge destroyed by Americans during the Korean War.

1950 - United Nations Memorial Cross, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu Island (Japan). "Standing faced Korea, the soldier of the Allied Forces killed in the Korean War is commemorated." Inscription: "In honor of the fallen heroes of the United Nations erected in 1950 by members of the Kokura General Depot Camp Kokura Kyushu Japan." (Kitakyushu was created in 1963 and includes the old city of Kokura.)

After July 27, 1953 - North Korea Peace Museum, Panmunjeom, Gyeonggi province (North Korea). In the building constructed to house the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement on 27 July 1953. Approximately 500 m north of the Joint Security Area (JSA), in the northern half of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The weapons used to kill U.S. Army Capt. Bonifas and Lt. Barrett in the Axe Murder Incident of 1976 are rumored to reside within the Museum. Just outside what has become known as "Propaganda Village" (qv).

After July 27, 1953 - Kijong-dong / Peace Village, Pamnumjeom (North Korea). Called "Peace Village" by North Korea & "Propaganda Village" by South Korea. An uninhabited village with no glass in the windows and, up till 2004, loudspeakers that broadcast a steady stream of anti-South Korean and anti-American propaganda. Has the world's tallest flagpole.

August 1967 - Nagasaki Korean Atomic Bomb Victims' Memorial, near the Hypocenter, Nagasaki Peace Park, Nagasaki (Japan). "Inspired by the July 1967 discovery of the bones of Korean bomb victims at Seikoin in the Oura Motomachi district, this memorial is dedicated to the many Koreans who, having been forced into hard labor by the Japanese military, were killed in the atomic bombing of Nagasaki."

April 10, 1970 - Monument in Memory of the Korean Victims of the A-bomb, Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima (Japan). Engraved "Souls of the dead ride to heaven on the backs of turtles" and stands on a turtle-shaped base. Originally erected at the western end of Honkawa Bridge. Moved into the park in July 1999. #11 of 56 "cenotaphs & monuments" on the Virtual E-Tour.

Date? - Tongil Park (South Korea). "Experience Korean history at the Tongil Park, which shows how Korea has been divided into South Korea and North Korea."

October 3, 1976 - Korean Bell of Friendship, Angel's Gate Recreation Center, 3601 South Gaffey Street, San Pedro, California (USA). Near Los Angeles (whose sister city in Korea is Pusan). Gift from Korea to the people of the USA for the US bicentennial. Entry #80 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

August 26, 1978 - International Friendship Exhibition, Myohyangsan / Mt. Myohyang (North Korea). "One of the most beautiful places I have ever seen on the Korean peninsula... At either end are ornate structures with traditional Korean architecture (to the top and bottom of the image) -- the two main 'friendship' exhibits, one devoted to "Great Leader" Kim Il-sung [1912-1994] (top), the other to "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il (bottom). "There are over 200,000 gifts, including a football signed by Pele, a basketball signed by Jordan, old Apple computer produced in 2000, Samsung computer produced in 2003, furnitures given by S.Korean company, even pictures of animals & plants they received. Of course they were many portraits of the two leaders, anti-American posters & statues (the most impressive, an American map smashed in a tiger's claw), New York Times with Kim Jong il on the front page. I had complex feelings -- the world most isolated country is still trying hard to build the 'image' of getting along with foreign countries."

1988 - World Peace Gate, Olympic Park, Seoul (South Korea). "Imposing steel frame and reinforced iron structure 24 meters high, 37 meters wide, and 62 meters in length" built for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games.

1988? - World Peace Flame, Olympic Park, Seoul (South Korea). Apparently near Olympic Peace Gate (qv) which was constructed for the 1988 Olympic Games.

Date? - Sunken Peace Garden, Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Panmunjon (Korea). This garden was the scene of a shootout in 1984 when a Soviet interpreter defected during a visit to the DMZ. Left photo taken from "The Pagoda" (formerly used to observe North Korea). The building to the right of the garden [expresses] South Korea's hope to reunite what was divided."

January 1, 2000 - Peace Bell, Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) (South Korea). Over 7 feet in diameter, over 12 feet tall & weighs 21 tons. "As we bid farewell to the 20th Century in which we witnessed the division of the Korean Peninsula, we welcome the 21st Century as a time of reunification and peace for all makind."

January 1, 2000 - Stones of Peace Wall, Imjingak Park, Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Paju (South Korea). Next to the peace bell (qv). "Stones from 86 noteworthy battlefields all over the world, put on display to wish for a peaceful unification of Korea. Barring any nasty surprises, most [South Koreans] believe that unification will follow the German model, with North Korea gradually opening its society up and integrating itself into South Korea. The hard part is the opening up, as the cult of Kim Jong-il is much harder to maintain in an open society."

Date? - Reunification monument, outside the Third Intrusion Tunnel, Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) (South Korea). "Depicts the division of Korea, and the world, and the hope to reunite what was divided." The 1.7 km (1.1 mile) tunnel dug by North Korea was discovered in October 1978 and is is now open to the public (right image).

Date? - Gangwon (South Korea). "At Jwadae there are 16 stone sculptures delicately carved in hopes of the reunification of Korea." Information courtesy of Barbara Panvel.

	2000 - UN Sculpture Park, Busan (South Korea). "Located near UN Memorial Park. You can look around many sculptures from all over the world with the theme of freedom, peace & unification. These were donated by sculptors from 21 countries that sent troops to Korea during the war in 2000 for the memory of 50th anniversary of Korean war." What is the UN Memorial Park?		Date? - Peace Monument, Seoul? (South Korea). "Created to promote peace in the Korean peninsula by Israeli and Palestinian schoolchildren."
	2001 - Monument to Three Principles (Charters?) of National Reunification, Tongil Expressway to Panmunjom, Pyongyang (North Korea). "Two traditionally-dressed Korean women, one from the North and one from the South, symbolically join hands in this monumental stone sculpture spanning the road that leads south to the Demilitarized Zone." "'Three Charters for National Reunification' refers to the north Korean reunification program defined by Kim Jung Il. The three chapters [sic] are the principles of independence, peaceful reunification & great national unity. Reunification according the North Korean vision means that the US occupation of the South should end and that one Korea should be led by Kim Il Sung."

2002 - Clock Tower of Peace, War Memorial of Korea (WMK), Seoul (South Korea). "Portrays two young girls holding two watches, one stopped at the moment of separation of the two Koreas and the other moving toward future unification... Reminds us of the familiar icons of peace culture as presented in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki museums in Japan. Despite such a gesture to modify its militaristic and masculine image, the presence of the museum with a message of anticommunism and military patriotism continues to elicit criticism... (The WMK, conceived in 1988 under the Roh Tae Woo government, was opened at the site of the former Korean Army Headquarters in downtown Seoul in 1994. Despite public discomfort over its military appearance, the WMK survived the demise of the military dictatorship and was embraced by the civilian regime headed by President Kim Young Sam as a reminder to Koreans of the ongoing threat posed by North Korea.)"

October 19-17, 2002 - Peace Bell, 2nd Choir Olympics, Busan (South Korea). "The Choir Olympics go to Asia for the first time. Busan, the South Korean port metropolis, is an outstanding host, giving the event an unmistakably Asian face and proving that the Choir Olympic Idea could also finds adherents in the Far East, resulting in enthusiasm all over the world. Patron: Ahn Sang-Yong, Mayor of the City of Busan.

August 4, 2004 - Peace Bell, Mountain Spirit Center (MSC), 8400 Juniper Way, Tehachapi, California (USA). Founded in 1993, MSC is a Korean Zen Buddhist temple affiliated with the Kwan Um School of Zen, founded in America by Zen Master Seung Sahn.

Date? - Korean War Memorial, Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, Phoenix, Arizona (USA). Across the street from the Arizona state house. "A stylized pagoda with a ceremonial temple bell weighing approximately two tons." Bell probably made in Korea.

2004 - Jeju Peace Musuem, Jeju Island (South Korea). At the site of Gamma Oreum. Founded and personally financed by Lee Young-Geun.

August 24, 2004 - World Peace Monument, Korea-Japan Friendship Training Center, Soka Gakkai International (SGI), Cheju Island (South Korea). Has six bronze statues representing the six continents: Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America, South America & Europe. Click here for other SGI peace monuments.

April 30, 2006 - World Poet Laureates' Monument, SGI-'s Korea-Japan Friendship Training Center, Soka Gakkai International (SGI), Cheju Island (South Korea). Commemorates May 3, Soka Gakkai Day. Inscribed with a quote from SGI President Daisaku Ikeda. Bronze busts of Indian poet and educator Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), Italian poet laureate Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374), and British poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850) were also unveiled. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Mr. Ikeda's receiving the title of Poet Laureate (1981, by World Congress of Poets) as well as the 11th anniversary of World Poet Laureate Award (1995, by World Poetry Society).

2007 - World Peace Center, Pyongyang (North Korea). Founded by The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon).

October 30, 2007 - World Peace Bell Park, Hwacheon County, Gangwon Province (South Korea). "Project started in 2005 with an idea of Mr. Jeong Gap-cheol, the elected executive of Hwacheon County. The Peace Bell, which will hang in the park, is to be cast next year from spent bullets and shells from many of the world's armed conflicts."

March 28, 2008 - Jeju April 3 Peace Memorial Hall, Peace Park, Jeju Island (South Korea). Nothing more in known about this Peace Memorial Hall & Peace Park.

1992-2008 - "Walking to the Sky." (#1) 1992 "Man Walking to the Sky," Kassel (Germany). (#2) "Woman Waking to the Sky," Strasbourg (France). (#3) 2004 "Humanity Walking to the Sky," moved from Rockefeller Center, New York City, & Nasher Collection, Dallas, Texas. 2006 Carnegie-Mellon University, Warner Hall, Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pensylvania (USA). (#4) 2008 Kiturami Homsys Company, Hwagok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul/Yonhap (South Korea). Sculptures by American Jonathan Borofsky. The sculpture in Seoul features people of different ages and ethnicities, including three Asian people. The pole is angled at 75 degrees, because "the idea is to walk to the sky, not to the building across the street,'' Borofsky joked.

May 26, 2009 - World Peace Bell, World Peace Bell Park, Hwacheong-un, Gangwon Province (South Korea). "A bell praying for world peace is to resonate in this, the world's last divided country [sic]. Made from empty cartridge cases from battlefields all over the world. The park spans 7,450 square meters [sic] in a region where remnants of historical conflict remain. In the 1980's, the Chun Doo-hwan regime needed a countermeasure against possible deliberate flooding by North Korea via the Mt. Geumgang Dam, and even collected funds from citizens to build the Peace Dam. But as the northern threat slackened, construction was called off and then on again. It was finally completed in 2005." Not associated with the World Peace Bell Association (WPBA) of Tokyo (Japan).

2010? - No Gun-Ri International Peace Park, No Gun-Ri (South Korea). "In 2007, the South Korean government announced that it would build a $20 million No Gun Ri History Park in the village by 2009. The following is from a visit on October 7, 2009 (click here for the full account): "Chung Koo Do is the Director of the No Gun-Ri Institute for Peace Studies and is dedicated to ensuring that the memory of the No Gun-Ri massacre is not lost and that justice prevails. He told me that there were over 500 incidents of killing of civilians during the war but No Gun-ri was the only case investigated by a joint South Korean-US government team. After the No Gun-ri investigation the US said it would not look into any other case. [July 26-29] 2010 will be the 60th anniversary of No Gun-Ri. Chung told me his organization is planning to sponsor several important events to commemorate the massacre. He hopes that US soldiers who were involved in the Korean War will come for the events and he particularly hopes that Veterans for Peace in the US will send a delegation to Korea during this time. He asked me to help them make that possible and I told him I would do my best. Chung pointed out with great pride the large area surrounding the No Gun-ri massacre site that will become a peace park. The South Korean government is now building a peace museum, educational facilities, and memorials. The survivors, and their descendants, are determined to keep the memory of No Gun-ri in the forefront of international peace movement efforts." (Click here for an account of a meeting with survivors in the USA on November 10, 1999.)

December 14, 2011 - Peace Monument, near the Japanese Embassy, Seoul (South Korea). "Marks the 1,000th demonstration of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan which has staged rallies in front of the Japanese embassy on Wednesday of every week. Japan has asked South Korea to block the plan. It will be difficult for the South Korean government to block it because setting up the monument does not require approval from the government. The council demands that the Japanese government apologise for & pay direct compensation to the victims, euphemistically called 'comfort women.' Japan has acknowledged that its wartime military used sex slaves but refuses to directly compensate the victims individually, arguing that the issue was settled by a 1965 normalisation treaty with South Korea."

Future - United Nations Peace Park, Global NGO Complex & Map Museum, Global Campus, Kyung Hee University, Suwon (South Korea). "Expected to help improve relations between the Global Campus & international organizations, such as the UN, & domestic & international NGO's by offering spacious & convenient venues for international gatherings & research."

Future - UN Peace Park & UN Memorial Hall, Chungju, North Chungcheong Province (South Korea). "Orb initiated by City of Chungju in honour of Ban Ki-Moon, current General Secretary of the United Nations Organization & native of Chungju. The project will be the new cultural landmark for the city, spreading out along the banks of the river Namhangang & to the north of the Tangeumdae Natural Park. An ellipsoidal building with a maximal diameter of 60m. It is made of 8 storeys and 1 basement floor. The heart of the building is the 1,500 seat auditorium & auxiliary conference spaces. The auditorium will offer a view to the outside direction of the Tangeumdae Natural Park. Spiraling upwards, the continuous ramp houses an exhibition explaining the history of the UN between 1945 & today, finally culminating in the Gallery of the [eight] General Secretaries. The UN-Globe will be placed in an orchard of 192 apple trees representing the number of member states of the UN. The focal point of this project is the city of Chungju, in miniature, in the heart of the site. This point has been defined as the epicenter of the concentric orbits which create a unifying surface for the different events of the park, like the Stone Collection (Suseok), the research center & a number of other follies."

Future - Peace Park in the Demilitarized Zone, both sides of the DMZ (Korea). Click here for story about Daimler Chrysler pledge of $500,000 to help former President Bill Clinton and Ted Turner build the peace park.