The Independence Hall of Korea

The Independence Hall of Korea

in Cheonan

(Address for GPS: 230-1, Namhwa-ri, Mokcheon-eup, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do)

My husband and I decided to visit Independence Hall in Cheonan today.

Cheonan is about 50 minutes from Camp Humphreys.

It was supposed to be a rainy day, but of course it was super warm and ONLY overcast...

Above and below are rest areas! They look so different than in the US that I thought it was interesting :)

Here you see the "bus lane" that you want to avoid unless your vehicle will hold at least 9 passengers and you have at least 6 passengers actually in the vehicle. Otherwise cameras will document the occurrence and you will be mailed a ticket :) or so I've heard.
We definitely avoid the bus lane...our tiny car could never pass for a 9-passenger vehicle!

Here you see themed hotels!

Yeah, we don't know what this sign means...

Here, our GPS showed us a rest area. They have gas, food and sometimes shopping and are really easy to get in and out of.

Here we go! Independence Hall!

Following lots of signs...

Under 25 passenger vehicles - 2,000 won for parking

Over 25 passenger vehicles - 3,000 won for parking

There did seem to be a foreigner discount! We only paid 1,000 won! And no entrance fees to Independence Hall, so besides food a really cheap outing!

There is a Lotteria there, which is where we ate lunch!

Some of these menu items sound so weird!  ...ok most of them...

If you can read this wall, it's hilarious!

Yeah, I have go to learn the words for "no pickles"...yuck...oh well! 

Bulgogi burgers have a type of barbeque sauce on them. 

All in all, it was very good.

Chilsung (cross between ginger ale and sprite) is definitely my drink of choice.

Ordering food is always an adventure in Korea!

There were lots of families with kiddos playing in the water! 

It is so amazing to see little children acting the same no matter what nationality they are...

This place is pretty large! Wear your tennis shoes or pay 1,000 won to ride the train.

We walked, but next time I'm definitely taking the train!

Yay! Getting lots of exercise today to burn off the burger and fries!

Lots of beautiful places for a picnic lunch too!

Here are really neat resting rooms! They are air-conditioned!

So smart!

This structure has the largest tiled roof in Asia!

We tried to take pictures of the explanations so we could remember!
It's always a challenge to read it later :P

Little water station!

It had little paper pouches available to drink water from!  It was pretty funny watching my husband grapple with these tiny cups!

Definitely a hazy day, but still beautiful!

The models were very real in appearance. The many battles the Korean people fought in defending their country are depicted in very graphic detail.

We found it very interesting to see the large volume of children going through these exhibits. I wondered how detailed parents were in their explanations. I wished so much that we could understand those around us. 

Exhibition Halls 2 and 3 were the hardest...

They express the atrocities inflicted on the Korean people by Japanese invaders. 

The most memorable information for me: Learning of "comfort women." 

Korean women were kidnapped and otherwise taken from their homes and forced to service Japanese military leaders for years and years.

I can't imagine being forced into that kind of lifestyle...let alone by the enemy whose goal it is to wipe out my culture and heritage.

It made me wonder how Korean parents are raising their children to feel towards the Japanese people.

How do you move forward towards a nation that has never openly acknowledged or apologized for their crimes?

How do you live a life of mercy without knowing Jesus' love and mercy?

He modeled forgiveness.

Without that example, I'm not sure how I would feel towards the Japanese if I were a Korean national.

This Hall had a lot of documents showing the path towards the independence of South Korea. 

Many of the exhibits only had a label in English without much explanation.

There was supposed to be an English audio version of the tours given that you can arrange for ahead of time. We might try that another time :)

If you're up for a long hike up the steps, you can see the Patriotic Memorial.

It was very relaxing at the top, since no one but us was up there!

There was a wonderful fountain that added to the sense of serenity here.

There weren't any English explanations or plaques near the Patriotic Memorial or down this path of memorials to the right...

This was the officer's uniform of the Independence Force:

I asked my husband if he'd like these or his boots!

Not sure what this flame hologram was about...no sign :)

The Japanese government did their very best to wipe out Korean heritage, including their language, traditions and practices. They forced the people to change their names to Japanese names and arrested many teachers on trumped up charges for preserving the Korean language.

Students rebelled...

The models were wonderful and really gave a sense of the history captured here.

The representative government...

 

This little boat was shaking and rocking and so funny as an interactive exhibit! 

The 7th Exhibition Hall had interactive experience, but we were too tired to continue investigating!

Feed the giant koi fish! There is even a vending machine for fish food :)

Those yellow, curly things were for holding ice cream!
(At least that's what the shopkeeper told us.)

It was a very enlightening day of discovery and understanding.
The Korean people went through so much to defend their homeland and become a strong nation.
I am thankful that the United States was an integral part of helping this country develop into the rich and beautiful nation that it is today.
We are so blessed to be here!
Thank you, Lord!