Hansando Prisoner of War Camp Designated as Gyeongsangnam-do Monument No. 302

Preservation and Maintenance as a Gyeongsangnam-do Designated Cultural Property Monument
Expected Utilization for History Education and Tourism Resources

Geoje Island Prisoner of War Camp Historic Site. (Photo by Tongyeong City)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] It was announced on the 8th that the ‘Tongyeong Chubongdo and Yonghodo Prisoner of War Camp’ (designated area: 825,231㎡) located in Hansan-myeon, Tongyeong-si, Gyeongnam, has been designated as Gyeongsangnam-do Monument No. 302 (Gyeongsangnam-do Notice No. 2020-486).

The Tongyeong Chubongdo and Yonghodo Prisoner of War Camp is a POW camp facility additionally constructed in 1952 on Chubongdo and Yonghodo in Hansan-myeon to alleviate the overcrowding and saturation of the Geoje-do POW camp, which housed Korean War prisoners. It is recognized for well preserving the historical site.

Due to the island characteristics, even after 68 years since the construction of the POW camp, relics remain scattered throughout the area and their preservation state is relatively good. However, continuous damage and loss have occurred, making urgent preservation and maintenance necessary.

The city plans to systematically preserve and maintain the historical and academic value of the site through this monument designation.

Kang Seok-ju, mayor of Tongyeong, said, “The Tongyeong Chubongdo and Yonghodo Prisoner of War Camp is a site that realistically shows a painful aspect of modern history during the Korean War and contains significant peace values. We expect that, along with the beautiful natural scenery of the two islands, it will be utilized as a place for historical education and a new tourist resource.”

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