Curators, Research, Deign and Installation 

War Memorial of Korea Museum _ Seoul _ South Korea

2018

This exhibition showcases those people who treasure Yongsan Garrison in their hearts. Through their honest personal accounts, they reveal Yongsan Garrison as a place of life and human relationships which will never be found in the history books. Moreover, there testimonies reveal how the base is intimately linked to the development of the modern Korea. Perhaps, the true power of Yongsan Garrison will be unlished when Koreans themselves and their diligence and ingenuity following the tragedy of the Korean War.

This year marks the 75th anniversary since the 8th U.S.Army took over Yongsan Garrison in 1953 from Japanese Imperior Army. Over the last seven decades, it is estimated 2.5million U.S. servicemen and women and more than one million Koreans and civilians have worked and lived inside the gates of Yongsan Garrison. Among these residents were Katusa’s and Korean civilian contractors and the families of USFK and US State Department who considered Yongsan garrison their work place and home away from home. And these people didn’t stay inside the garrison but ventured outside to bond with the locals and neighborhoods economically and socially.

With each stay ranging from several visits to couple of generations, their personal stories reveal Yongsan Garrison as an integral part of Korean modern society and culture.