Seoul War Memorial of Korea Modern History Tour with a Former KATUSA Guide

Explore the War Memorial of Korea
with a former KATUSA guide

Meet your guide at the War Memorial of Korea and begin a tour of about 3 hours conducted in English. Your guide is a Korean Army veteran who served as a KATUSA at Yongsan Garrison, where he introduced Korean history and the peninsula's security realities to newly arrived US service members and their families. Having studied political science at Northwestern University, along with Korean, American, European, and Central American history, he connects events in Korea with what was happening around the world.

Hear the story of the Korean Peninsula
from ancient kingdoms to division

As you walk through the exhibition halls, you will hear the story of the Korean Peninsula from ancient kingdoms to the modern division of North and South. Learn why Korea's geography made it both vulnerable and strategically important, and how ancient kingdoms, invasions, and foreign influence shaped Korean identity.

You will also look at the lasting impact of the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, why the peninsula remains a security-sensitive region today, and how Korea grew into an economic and democratic nation after enormous hardship.

Connect Korean history with world history

Your guide compares Korea's conflicts with events in Europe, discusses how world powers shaped East Asia, and brings history to life through familiar topics such as films and strategy games. Beyond the war itself, the tour highlights human stories of courage, fear, sacrifice, and survival. The tour ends back at the meeting point, and you can get recommendations for other sites in Seoul related to Korean history and culture.

※ The War Memorial of Korea is closed every Monday, on January 1, and during the Seollal and Chuseok holidays.