Museum revisits Heungnam Evacuation
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This December 1950 file photo shows the United States SS Meredith Victory anchored in the port of Busan after transporting more than 14,000 refugees from Heungnam in North Korea to Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province on Christmas Eve during the 1950-53 Korean War. / Courtesy of National Museum of Korean Contemporary History
By Baek Byung-yeul
In “Ode to My Father,” this year’s smash-hit film portraying modern Korean history, there is a tragic scene showing the protagonist’s family being broken apart during the evacuation at the port city of Heungnam, North Korea, on a cold winter day in 1950.
The largest rescue operation in the 1950-53 Korean War, the “Heungnam Evacuation” began when the South Korean and United Nations military were cornered by the North Korean and Chinese military. During the evacuation, some 105,000 U.N. and South Korean troops and 91,000 refugees were transported from Heungnam to South Korean ports including Geoje Island and Busan between Dec. 15 and 24, just before Chinese troops took over the area.
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and the 65th anniversary of the Heungnam Evacuation, the state-run National Museum of Korean Contemporary History is holding an exhibition, “Heungnam, the Winter of 1950,” featuring some 150 artifacts related to the evacuation.
“We have chosen the Heungnam Evacuation as it is one of the most dramatic moments showing the cruel reality of the war,” the history museum’s curator, Lee Gyeong-sun, said during an press preview on Dec. 14. “We have organized this exhibition in chronological order to help audiences understand the historical event.”
The museum’s director, Kim Wang-sik, said: “With the exhibition, we would like to provide an opportunity to glimpse at how much the Heungnam Evacuation means to us by showing a slew of tragedies caused by war.”
The exhibition, in three parts, shows before and after the evacuation. The first part, “War on the Road,” explains the historical background of the evacuation. The second, “Sailing from Heungnam in the Winter of 1950,” describes the situation at that time, featuring action reports and medals given to the U.S. soldiers. The third part, “Heungnam within Us,” shows refugees struggling to adjust in their new hometown in the South.
Displayed materials include photos of five babies born aboard the SS Meredith Victory, the cargo freighter that performed the largest humanitarian rescue operation, carrying about 14,000 refugees; stories of refugees who began setting up life in a new place; and evacuation operations-themed literary works, films and music records.
The materials featured in the exhibition have been donated by U.S. soldiers, including Robert Lunney, a former crew member of the SS Meredith Victory, and refugees. The museum also interviewed them for the exhibition.
The exhibition runs through Feb. 28. The museum is near exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station, subway line 5. Admission is free. For more information, call (02) 3703-9200 or visit www.much.go.kr.