War museum in U.S. sought

WASHINGTON - A group of American scholars and dignitaries said Tuesday that they would launch a fresh campaign to boost slow-moving efforts to construct the first formal Korean War museum in the United States.

Dozens of former U.S. ambassadors to Seoul, scholars and others interested in Korean affairs have been seeking to build the Korean War National Museum since 1997. The process has been stalled due to funding problems.

The group will “kick off its campaign with a panel discussion by our distinguished guests” in Washington on Thursday, said Victor Cha, who holds the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Participants in the event will include former ambassador to Korea Thomas Hubbard, retired Army Gen. John Tilelli, and Jack Pritchard, president of the Korea Economic Insitute.

The project “aims to build a world-class museum in New York City with a mission to honor the veterans, educate citizens and future generations, preserve the legacy and history of the war, and celebrate ‘the forgotten victory,’” Cha said.

Yonhap