Remembering the Korean War

In July 1953, the Korean War armistice was negotiated between the United States and the Soviet Union, marking the end of eight arduous years of conflict between the two superpowers. The Korean War is being remembered with a new exhibition titled Canada, Korea and the War. This exhibition explores not only the War itself, but also the enduring relationship forged between Canada and South Korea. Through personal accounts, photographs, and select objects, this new exhibition shares the stories of Canadian soldiers, nursing sisters, and Korean Canadians, from the early 1950s to the present day.

Canadian War Museum – CWM2023-0031-0008-Dm

Visitors to the exhibition will encounter one of the Canadian Army’s first Inuk soldiers, Eddy Weetaltuk, along with Herbert Gardner, a decorated survivor of a key Korean War battle who, like many of the 30,000 Canadians who served in Korea, was a veteran of the Second World War. Also included are the stories of nursing officer Jessie Chenevert, and Canada’s only known Korean war bride, Lee BaikWhua. The War’s legacy is revealed through the stories of Koreans who came to Canada, as well as the accounts of those who keep the past alive in South Korea today.

“The Korean War, though sometimes known as ‘the Forgotten War,’ was of immense importance,” said Dean F. Oliver, Acting Vice-President and Director General of the Canadian War Museum. “It was the first major struggle between the superpowers in the post-war world. It led many like-minded nations to bolster their defences against communist threats around the world. And, as this new exhibition shows, it established a lasting bond between Canada and South Korea.”

The Canadian War Museum developed Canada, Korea and the War to mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the conflict. For a more comprehensive story of Canada’s involvement in Korea, visitors are invited to explore the Museum’s Gallery 4 – From the Cold War to the Present.

Canada, Korea and the War is presented along the Portrait Wall in the Main Lobby at the Canadian War Museum until March 31, 2024.