I almost didn’t get off the tour bus. After perusing the many stops on the Busan City Tour map I thought a cemetery wouldn’t have much to offer in the way of sights and most likely would bum me out. Still, I’d paid for the tour and my momma raised me to take The UNMCK is one of the world’s most unique cemeteries. It was designed by the UN to commemorate the fallen soldiers during the Korean War in a testament to world peace and freedom.
The cemetery was created in the early months of 1951. Several years later in 1955 the Korean Parliament proposed to the UN to accept the space in perpetuity to use as a Memorial. During this same year the UN General Assembly passed a resolution to manage the UNMCK. In 1959 Korean and the UN signed an agreement to maintain the grounds jointly.
The fallen soldiers in the war all fought during the Korean War. In the cemetery lay the bodies of soldiers from 16 different countries. These soldiers are also joined by the fallen medical support personnel.
| Nation | #of interred | Nation | #of Interred | Nation | #of Interred |
| Australia | 281 | Norway | 1 | USA | 36 |
| Canada | 378 | RO Korea | 36 | Nonbelligerent | 11 |
| France | 44 | South Africa | 11 | Unknown | 4 |
| Netherlands | 117 | Turkey | 462 | ||
| New Zealand | 34 | UK | 885 | Total | 2,300 |
On the grounds there are several different facilities. The memorabilia hall exhibits the first UN flag used by the UN command during the Korean War. There are also a variety of troop pictures. Also included are photos taken of commemoration ceremonies since the war.
The memorial service hall was designed by Korean architect Joong-up Kim. Its triangular shape with stained glass symbolizes the eternal tributes paid to the fallen troops as well as the “sublime tragedies of war, love and peace.”
The UN forces monuments has doves sculpted into the façade. The names of the support troops are inscribed on copper plates on the wall.
In the cemetery there is also a path of remembrance for unknown soldiers. This solemn pathway is shouldered by two reflecting pools on either side.
You can see the Flag Honoring Ceremony at: 10 AM Flag Raising and 5 PM (June to September) and 4 PM (October to May) Flag Lowering. At 2 PM on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays the ceremony includes marching, a band, and a volley of rifle fire.
The wall of remembrance has the names of all the UN troops who fell during the entire Korean War with 40,896 names in all. Every part of this area has some meaning. For example, the pond signifies the universe, the 21 fountains correlate to the 21 UN nations who participated in the Korean War, the flowers reflect peace and life while the helmet signifies war and death, and the eternal flame pays tribute to the slain with an eternal wish for world peace.
When you step onto the grounds the first thing you notice is the flora. The grounds are vibrant with all the surrounding greenery. Everything is immaculately kept, with sharp edges and corners. The space is landscaped to perfection and a lot of attention and care goes into each and every foot of space.
The guards ask all visitors to maintain a respectful silence during their visit. Walking the grounds the only sound comes from the chirping of birds and the muffled grumble of nearby traffic.
The UNMCK should not be missed if you are in Busan. You won’t regret a second. The incredible beauty of the grounds and courage of the men interred left an indelible impression I’ll not soon forget.
