The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum is the DPRK’s most lavish museum. The museum was originally built in 1953 but heavy renovations were recently completed, with the assistance of the DPRK’s army. It’s located inside Pyongyang and is the DPRK’s tribute to its resistance against Allied and Japanese forces. A row of legendary North Korean weapons line the left of the outside plaza, each with a story on how they helped liberate the country. The USS Pueblo is still floating here, captured by the DPRK in 1968 while it was on a reconnaissance mission. A proud trophy as the DPRK was able to force the US to give an official apology, the first of its kind, in order to negotiate the release of the US sailors. Inside the ship you can still see the bullet holes from the original capture operation, right next to framed apology letters from the sailors asking to be sent home. Other war trophies of captured enemy weapons and vehicles are also on display outside the museum. Photographs of deceased and captured Allied soldiers, and spy planes that were downed after the war, are now proudly flaunted. Inside the museums grand lobby, complete with chandeliers, stands a giant but lifelike statue of Kim Il Sung. Notable exhibits include scenes of how the DPRK soldiers lived during the war, with climate and sound controls for additional immersion. A gigantic 15 meter high and 132 meter long revolving panorama depicts the battle of Daejon. A critical battle during the the DPRK’s push to liberate the country, and the oil painting shows 40 kilometers of insight into the battle. The panorama was completed by 4 artists and includes state of the art animated effects. Another exhibit shows the defeated leader of Task Force Smith, with slumped shoulders and a dead look in his eye, surrounded by fallen American marines, while the sound of crows plays in the background. Real samples of biological weapons the US used on the Korean people are also kept on display, along with hateful rhetoric that was spread by the Allied Forces leadership. Do not miss the opportunity to see a rare screening of a 15 minute movie showing the DPRK’s perspective on the Korean War, the DVD can be purchased inside the museum as well.
