After lunch, we walked to the main road and got back on the bus - this time on our way to Geoje's "historic park" for the P.O.W. Camp that was established on the island shortly after the Korean War broke out some 60 years ago.
AN EMOTIONALLY-TAXING EXPERIENCE
Of course I didn't know that our excursion would be on the emotionally-taxing side, but it was. There were some elements to this "historic park" that sometimes amused me but most of the time just disturbed me without clearly understanding why. I have never been a fan of reading small captions (or, I should say, other people's small captions, heh), but I read as much as I could to understand the events being portrayed in the displays. It helped that I had my own personal tour guide in the very enthusiastic David Jibsanim! We are similar in that, when we tell stories, we use our whole bodies to do the telling - complete with appropriate and dynamic sound effects.
Here is our tour of the park in photo form.
WELCOME TO THE P.O.W. CAMP
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| Our retreat, complete with a nifty sign we carted around for group photo ops such as this one! |
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| A photo of the entrance |
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Here is our group, jostling with so many others, to start our historic tour!
The flags you see ahead are those of the 16 countries that participated in the Korean War in 1950. |
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| Memorial Fountain by the entrance where we took our group photo |
THE EXHIBITS BEGIN
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| Prison camp life |
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| Seattle is, apparently, 5,700 miles yonder way! |
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| More camp life on the island |
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| Geoje was far enough away from the battlefield to be regarded as secure territory, according to Wikipedia |
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| According to small captions and big signs alike, the prisoners were held in accordance to the Geneva Convention Rules |
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| Depicting riots in the camp |
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I started to feel very anxious and claustrophobic going through this one exhibit
(there were many more after this that I somehow felt compelled to "experience") |
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| Communist P.O.W.s rioting on the camp caused it to eventually become as bloody as any battlefield |
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| My young friend posing by a mural |
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| Families affected by the war |
NORTH KOREAN ARMY INVADES THE SOUTH (ILLEGALLY)
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| Up until this point, I didn't know there was a "lawful" way to invade another country! Learning new things, learning new things... |
THE LEGIT ROLE OF BUSAN DURING THE WAR
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| I loved these interactive maps! |
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David Jibsanim was very passionate about sharing Korea's history with our group (mainly me).
He recounted the events as if he had lived through it (which he did, but as a young boy) |
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| Busan fending off the enemies |
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| Well, hello, Philippines! |
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| In honor of Pastor/Professor Gabriel's home country! |
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| Good ole' America |
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| The 16 "Friendly Countries" who fought in the war |
"...Even now, the calamity of war still remains.
The division of the Korean peninsula got far stiffer after the war and this tragic legacy is still in the bottom of all Korean's heart, engendering a bitter feeling of sorrow and regret."
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| Important dates |
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| One of the more "interesting" photo zones throughout the camp |
THE HORROR! THE HORROR!
is over, now that we're finally through with the tour.
I couldn't help but breathe a huge sigh of relief when I saw these tall trees, and
joined the jibsanims for a reflective pause in our tour.
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| It was not all a dream, unfortunately |
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| My church family |
That was quite a day! Throughout the tour, I couldn't help but wonder, "Is this really the
same Korea?" Oh, how many things have changed! History is messy and uncomfortable, but it's good to know and reflect on. This "historic park" may have been more biased and propaganda-heavy than I would have liked, but it's a stab at keeping history not only alive but interactive. Of course there are benefits as well as drawbacks to this, but that's a conversation better partaken in real life!
MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU
What did you think of Geoje's P.O.W. Camp, historic park-style? Have you visited before? Do you plan on visiting? If you were in charge of this historic park, what would you change to improve the visitors' experience?
How important is History in your book? Share your thoughts in the comment box below!
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