Final day

Our final day had an open morning for the shoppers, of which there always seem to be many on these trips, but a number of us went to the Korean War Memorial and museum. It is a very impressive museum, one of the better museums I've visited. On the whole, the Korean museums are very well done. Well lighted, English available, high tech, uncrowded and informative. This one covered virtually every aspect of military history and present day military stuff in Korea. Interestingly, it is across the street from the US base that is right in Seoul that is scheduled to be relocated south of the city. The plan is to make the present base into a large city park. The museum had a nearly full size "turtle boat", lots of early gunpowder weapons, which Korea was the earliest to use extensively to defeat Japan a few times, even though outnumbered, and lots of real airplanes, artillery, etc inside and outside the building.

Outside is an impressive sculpture of Koreans done in the classic Greek frieze style, with smaller figures following ever larger ones marching forward. There is also a moving one of two brothers, one from each side, during the Korean war. I didn't have time to do the entire museum, which was a bummer, and unusual, because most of the time I run out of endurance before I run out of museum.

Had a big farewell dinner on the 27th floor of some building with a nice view, and went through the ceremonies of finishing up. The Korea Society group is staying on for another 3 days.