Dongducheon City Council 'Cultural Heritage Tourism Research Group' Discusses Development Plans for Normae-si

Meeting Held with the Norwegian Ambassador to Korea

The Cultural Heritage Tourism Research Association of Dongducheon City Council visited the Embassy of Norway in Korea on the 11th, held a meeting with Anne Kari Hansen Ovin, the Norwegian Ambassador to Korea, and then took a commemorative photo.

The Dongducheon City Council in Gyeonggi Province (Chairman Kim Seung-ho), through its ‘Cultural Heritage Tourism Research Group (Representative Assembly Member Im Hyun-sook)’, announced on the 22nd that it visited the Embassy of Norway in Korea on the 11th and held a meeting with Anne Kari Hansen Ovind, the Norwegian Ambassador to Korea.

The ‘Dongducheon Cultural Heritage Tourism Research Group’ is a council research organization composed of three members: Assemblyman Kwon Young-gi (Independent, District Na), Assemblywoman Im Hyun-sook (Democratic Party, District Na), and Assemblyman Hwang Ju-ryong (People Power Party, District Ga). This research group was formed in July to discover Dongducheon’s hidden unique history and cultural heritage and explore ways to develop them into distinctive tourism resources.

Prior to the visit to the Norwegian Embassy, the research group toured the site of NORMASH (Norwegian Mobile Army Surgical Hospital ? a field hospital operated during the Korean War) located in Habongam-dong in September. During the Korean War, Norway, as part of the UN forces, sent a total of 623 medical personnel and established NORMASH (which moved from Uijeongbu to Dongducheon), a mobile surgical hospital that treated approximately 90,000 patients including South Korean and UN troops, North Korean soldiers and prisoners, and civilians.

Afterwards, NORMASH became known as the foundation of the National Medical Center following the armistice. Preserving the history and scars of the Korean War, NORMASH was designated as Gyeonggi Province Registered Cultural Heritage No. 23 in April.

The ‘Dongducheon Cultural Heritage Tourism Research Group’ is seeking ways to develop NORMASH and its surrounding area, which hold high symbolic value for humanitarianism practiced through love and dedication beyond nationality during the war, into unique tourism resources.

During the meeting held under the direction of Policy Research Institute Leaders (CEO Son Su-jo), which is conducting the research project, the council members who met with the Norwegian Ambassador proposed ideas to renovate the currently virtually abandoned NORMASH building and create a nearby lawn plaza, requesting the interest and cooperation of the Norwegian Embassy.

Furthermore, they introduced plans to develop the site into a tourist attraction visited by foreign dignitaries and tourists from Norway to Korea and to hold regular commemorative events. They expressed hope to firmly continue the solidarity of cooperation and friendship between Norway and Korea that blossomed during the war.

Assemblywoman Im Hyun-sook stated, “We will contribute to discovering and developing Dongducheon’s hidden historical and cultural heritage with positive and profound historical significance, including NORMASH,” adding, “We will continue efforts to find and nurture Dongducheon’s historical traces that are clearly worth preserving and passing on.”