Explore Chungcheong
After years in the shadows, Cheonan (천안) is a city on the up: now connected to Seoul by subway and high-speed train, its population has boomed in recent years, both with disaffected office workers from the capital and migrants from Asia who have been brought over to work on one of the many construction projects. The new KTX line has enabled commuters to work in Seoul while living in a cheaper, more manageable city, but despite the flashy new department stores and housing complexes, there’s little here to detain travellers bar the superb Arario Gallery – instead, visitors mainly use Cheonan as a jumping-off point for the largest museum in the country, the fascinating Independence Hall of Korea.
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Independence Hall of Korea
Independence Hall of Korea
Set in a wooded area east of Cheonan, Korea’s largest museum, the Independence Hall of Korea (독립 기념관), is a concrete testament to the country’s continued struggle for independence during its most troubled time, from 1910 to 1945, when it suffered the indignity of being occupied by Japan. Though this was a relatively short period, the effects were devastating, and despite the Korean government’s initial appeal for locals not to be “filled with bitterness or resentment”, the popularity of the place and the size of its seven large exhibition halls – each of which would probably function quite well as individual museums – show that the wounds are still sore. Scarcely an opportunity is missed to insert a derogatory adjective against the Japanese people and policies of the time, but this combination of vitriol and history makes the place an absorbing visit.
Each hall highlights different aspects of the occupation, with the most important displays labelled in English. However, many locals head straight for those detailing Japanese brutality during the colonial period – “Torture done by Japan”, a life-size display featuring some unfortunate mannequins, is one of the most popular exhibits, but there are also numerous photographs. Should you tire of the unrelenting indignation, the “Hall of National Heritage” is filled with less bombastic displays detailing traditional Korean life.
