Rare Artifacts Including Baengmagoji Battle Photo Album
Acquired as First Step Toward Establishing the National Military History Museum of the Future
On August 4, the city of Gyeryong in South Chungcheong Province officially received Korean War veteran artifacts previously held by the Mus?e National d'Histoire Militaire (MNHM) of Luxembourg during a ceremony at the city hall situation room, the city announced on August 5.
The handover ceremony was attended by Mayor Lee Eungwoo, department heads, the director of the Army Military Research Institute, and the director of the Daejeon Institute of Cultural Heritage Conservation Technology.
The artifact acquired is a photo album documenting the participation of the late Gilbert Haupelt, a Luxembourgish machine gunner who fought as part of the United Nations forces in 1952. The album contains images of the Battle of Baengmagoji and scenes of Korea at that time.
This artifact exchange marks the first substantial collaboration between the two institutions following Mayor Lee Eungwoo's visit to Luxembourg in November of last year and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with MNHM.
The city plans to feature the artifact in a special exhibition in the city hall lobby and to create a digital archive for use in civic education and as materials for veterans' affairs.
Mayor Lee Eungwoo stated, "The artifact is a symbol of the horrors of war, humanitarianism, and peace," adding, "It represents a meaningful first step toward the establishment of the National Military History Museum of the Future."
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