The War Memorial Foundation, responsible for managing the Seoul War Memorial located in Yongsan, stirred up debate after initiating an education initiative that highlights the viewpoint of China's People's Volunteer Army regarding the June 25 War. The organization advertised this program online, stating South Korea's historical interpretation that "the June 25 War constituted an unlawful invasion by North Korea" alongside the Chinese phrase "resisting U.S. aggression and aiding Korea," used by Beijing to support its involvement in the war, as being equally legitimate perspectives. After facing criticism, the foundation took down the promotion content from their site on the 9th and suspended the program.
The organization launched an educational initiative called "The June 25 War: Different Perspectives" and started taking registrations via the War Memorial's online platform on the 31st of the previous month. Designed for pupils in fourth grade and higher, the foundation explained on its website that the program aims to "explore differing views between South Korea and China regarding the June 25 War to gain insight into various interpretations of the conflict." Originally scheduled to be held physically at the War Memorial on the 13th and 25th of this month following application deadlines, the event was set up to run offline.
A promotional flyer for the initiative, displayed on the organization's online platform, included the titles "The June 25 War: Different Views" and "Dual Insights Regarding the Yalu River." Beneath these lines, an image showed a student wearing a traditional South Korean school outfit and another dressed in a bright red Chinese athletic jersey standing opposite one another with a military vehicle behind them. A dialogue box beside the South Korean child had the phrase "June 25 War" set against a Taegeukgi (South Korean national flag), whereas the Chinese child’s box contained "supporting North Korea against U.S. forces," framed by the Five-Star Red Flag.
◇ "The War Monument Endorses China's Perspective on the Invasion... Might Lead Students to Develop Misleading Historical Perspectives"
The phrase "anti-American assistance to Korea" describes China's assertion that its entry into the June 25 War was a moral effort to counter American aggression and support North Korea. This is a propaganda label employed by Beijing to legitimize its role, depicting the war as an answer to "American imperialism" and presenting its actions as morally justified. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has supported this viewpoint, referring to the conflict as a "righteous war" and advocating for a revised historical perspective.
Nevertheless, the war that started on June 25 was initiated by North Korea through an unauthorized southern invasion disguised as "national liberation." The South Korean administration refers to this event as the "June 25 War" in order to highlight that the conflict arose due to North Korea's unjustified attack. Scholars have condemned the War Memorial Foundation for crudely contrasting the historical viewpoints of both countries, claiming that doing so may implant incorrect understandings among students by portraying China's biased account as a valid option. Professor Kang Gyu-hyung from the School of Humanities at Myongji University remarked, "It is risky to expose teenagers, who haven’t fully formed their value systems, to China's misleading interpretations of history. The War Memorial Foundation, which ought to preserve South Korea's national identity and enhance security consciousness, has unintentionally adopted Beijing's version of events regarding the aggression."
A contentious initiative was arranged by the foundation's "W-Academy," created with the aim of promoting accurate national viewpoints and strengthening awareness of safety. At the beginning of May, an individual from the W-Academy put forward the project plan, which received approval from the vice-director on the 19th of that month. Subsequently, the staff member utilized "Gemini" to create the promotional material, which was uploaded onto the site on the 31st.
A representative from the organization stated, "The initiative sought to accurately educate attendees regarding the misleading statements made by the 'Anti-US Aid to Korea Memorial Museum' located in Dandong, China. We apologize that the promotional materials did not align with our original purpose, and there were flaws in the oversight procedure." Following inquiries from this newspaper starting early on the 9th, the foundation took down the program's advertising details from its online platform.
With the dispute intensifying, the Defense Ministry stated in the afternoon of the 9th that "due to improper conflicts regarding the education initiative, the organization removed the posts and put the project on hold after consulting with the ministry." The ministry further noted, "According to present evidence, the group had designed the program to accurately convey the historical truth that the June 25 conflict started when North Korea illegally moved southward during Patriots' and Veterans' Day. Nevertheless, the procedure did not undergo adequate scrutiny." Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has mandated an exhaustive inquiry into the matter and directed stringent actions should any infractions be verified.