Battleships and Fish – Korea’s National Maritime Museum (국립해양박물관)

Korean National Maritime Museum

It’s fairly evident that Korea is experiencing rapid growth in their economy.  Everywhere you look there is new construction going up, or new neighborhoods being developed.  More and more, Korea is also becoming more foreigner and tourist-friendly with attractions to suit almost any need.  In Busan, all you have to do is take a trip uptown to the Haeundae area and you’ll see massive new buildings being erected.  From shopping centers (BEXCO) to entertainment (Busan Cinema Center), the construction in Korea is making bolder statements each time.

The same m.o. was taken when constructing the National Maritime Museum (국립해양박물관) in Yeoungdo, the island I call home.  It was built along side the Maritime University and pays homage to the history of all things coastal – from military to commerce.  It opened about a year ago, so it is still very crispy and new.  The first thing that struck me was the hulking size of the building.  It’s simply huge.  The location is awesome and you’ll get an incredible view of the ocean and shore line leading uptown towards Gwangalli.

In brief, the museum provides a detailed account of it’s history with shipbuilding, military, commerce, and expedition.  There are three floors of detailed models, artifacts, and displays that give a true sense of how involved Korea is.  Some of the scaled displays are truly amazing with the detail.  Probably my favorite display was that of the model ships that Korea had part in constructing.  Korea is one of the largest, if not the largest, shipbuilding nation in the world.  It is one of their most involved industries.  The models ranged from Carnival cruise ships to military vessels.  For anyone who enjoyed model building as a kid, you will definitely like this display.  The pieces are 4-5 feet long each and have incredible detail.  I was very much impressed.

There really isn’t enough space in this post to go into all the displays at the Maritime Museum.  Plus, it would probably be boring!  But I took many pictures and included some here in this post to give an idea of what it’s like.  If you are ever in Busan, I would make the Maritime Museum part of your list of things to see.  There are so many great museums in Busan and like I’ve said before, I’ve never been a museum kinda guy.  Seeing the museums that Busan has to offer has been really enjoyable.  I may have a new pastime.  Whether it’s your thing or not, definitely check out the Korean National Maritime Museum.