Victorious War Museum

The Victorious War Museum, or the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, is a history/military museum dedicated to the Korean War located in the North Korean capital-city of Pyongyang.[1]

Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum
조국해방전쟁승리기념관
Victorious War Museum Entrance
The main entrance of the Victorious War Museum
Victorious War Museum is located in North Korea
Victorious War Museum
Location within North Korea
EstablishedApril 1974 (current location)
Coordinates39°02′18″N 125°44′26″E
Public transit access   Hyǒksin: Kŏnsŏl

The museum was first set up in August 1953[2] and built in the Central District of Pyongyang, initially named as the "Fatherland Liberation War Museum." In April 1963, it was relocated to the Sosong District and re-established in a purpose-built building compound.

In 2014, the museum was renovated and upgraded significantly[3] and the new design included a building spanning across the nearby Botong River, together with a large panorama-style display hall at the top.

The general character and influence of the museum reflects the official North Korean view of their success in fighting against their American arch-enemy and its puppet state of South Korea, and much of the museum presents the victories of North Korea and its military over its enemies, which are shown to be utterly defeated and broken by the might of the DPRK. Such can be seen from how a display in the museum shows a large cache of captured US infantry-based weapons and combat-helmets stacked up, presenting the idea of the severe casualties sustained by the US military in the Korean War.

Exhibits in the museum include a 360-degree full-scale diorama and cyclorama of the Battle of Taejon during the Korean War, along with displays of North Korean military hardware used in that conflict, such as Soviet T-34/85 tanks, anti-aircraft artillery, naval craft as well as warplanes. Also on display are several captured American (and some British) military equipment, such as ex-US M26 Pershing, M4 Sherman and M24 Chaffee tanks, a former British Army Universal Carrier armoured personnel carrier (APC), along with some artillery guns and downed aircraft of the US-led UN forces fighting against North Korea.[4] In addition to the many statues, figures, murals and artifacts in the museum, one major exhibit is USS Pueblo, a US Navy vessel that was captured by North Korea when it allegedly entered North Korean territorial waters in January 1968. Local and foreign visitors to the museum are allowed to board the ship, now permanently moored on the river beside the museum, and enter and see the ship's secret code-room (which contains classified military intelligence and information on board) and former ship and crew artifacts now put on display, such as a US flag.[5]

Images from the museum
  • SGuide to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum
    A guide-diagram showing the ways around the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum in Pyongyang.
  • A US Army OH-23 helicopter captured by the North Korean military in 1963.
    A US Army OH-23 Raven helicopter captured by the North Korean military in 1963.
  • USS Pueblo, an American research ship captured by the North Korean military in 1968.
    USS Pueblo, which was seized by North Korea in January 1968.

Alleged sinking of USS Baltimore

The museum has several exhibits that claim that the U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Baltimore was sunk by Motor Torpedo Boats belonging to the Korean People's Navy on 2 July 1950. Exhibits include a poster and the supposed actual torpedo boat which supposedly sank the American cruiser. However, the cruiser, at the time of its alleged loss, was still in the U.S. Navy's decommissioned reserve, and had been as such since 1946. In 1951, it was recommissioned and assigned to the Atlantic Fleet. In 1955, Baltimore was transferred to the Pacific Fleet two years after the Korean War. Clearly, the ship was nowhere near Korea during the three years of conflict there.[6]

The actual battle involved light cruiser USS Juneau as well as the Royal Navy's sloop HMS Black Swan and cruiser HMS Jamaica. Together, they destroyed several (at least 3) North Korean torpedo boats without suffering losses or damage.[6]

  • The North Korean propaganda poster proclaiming the sinking of USS Baltimore.
    The North Korean propaganda poster proclaiming the sinking of USS Baltimore.
  • The North Korean torpedo boat, No. 21, that supposedly sunk the heavy cruiser Baltimore.
    The North Korean torpedo boat, No. 21, that supposedly sunk the heavy cruiser Baltimore.

See also

References
  1. Democratic People's Republic of Korea – Museums (Archived April 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine)
  2. "Victorious War Museum". 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2023 – via PressReader.
  3. "War Museum in Pyongyang". Korean Central News Agency. 27 July 2014. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  4. "Must see attractions in Pyongyang, North Korea".
  5. Donenfeld, Jeffrey (19 April 2015). "Full report: VIsit to North Korea and the Pyongyang marathon". jeffreydonenfeld.com. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  6. Salmon, Andrew (2012). Scorched Earth, Black Snow. Aurum. p. 41.

Further reading
  • O, Hae Yon (2014). Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. ISBN 9789946011806.
  • The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. 1979. OCLC 45917403.
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