GEOJE POW camp
Staff Reperter
By Shim Hyun-chul
With the upcoming summit bringing new hopes for reunification on the peninsula, Koreans still have memory of tragic battles during the Korean War(1950~1953).
Sites like the History Park of Geoje Prisoner of War (POW) Camp teaches us an up close lesson on the devastating consequences of the war.
The camp, located on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province, was founded in early 1951 by U.N. troops, and held around 170,000 prisoners in 28 facilities until an armistice was concluded in 1953.
The former camp has been reborn as a historic park with various exhibition halls that help visitors comprehend the actual situation at the time.
Visitorv can look through the outline of the war, the living quarters of POWs and also view pictures and recordings.
The camp was designated as Cultural Asset No.99 of South Gyeongsang Province in December 1983, with only some remnants of the facility still existing.
It was also used as the site for the movie “Last Witness” (2001) featuring top actors Ahn Sung-ki, Lee Jung-jae and Lee Mi-youn.
Opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from March to October -- it closes an hour earlier at 5 p.m. from November to February. Admission is 3,000 won for adults; 2,000 won for teenagers; and 1,000 won for children.
For more information call 055- 639-8125 or visit https://pow.geoje.go.kr.