Why Tongdosa Became an 'Army Hospital'... Oral Records of Treating Wounded Soldiers from the 6·25 War Released

Story of Korean War Wounded Soldier Living at Tongdosa Draws Attention

Busan Refuge Capital Oral History Project Group, Lecture on the 7th

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] "I go to Tongdosa, farewell comrade." Did you know that the thousand-year-old temple Tongdosa served as an "Army Hospital" during the Korean War?

As one of the three major temples in Korea and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Tongdosa, true to its title as an "ancient temple," holds many stories.

Among them, attention is drawn to the story of wounded soldiers living at Tongdosa during the Korean War.

Precious materials have emerged supporting the fact that while Busan served as a refuge capital, Tongdosa was a branch of the Dongnae 31st Army Hospital in Busan.

The Busan Refuge Capital Oral History Project Team (Director Chae Young-hee, Professor of Korean Language and Literature at Pukyong National University) plans to introduce documents from the Ministry of National Defense in 1951 stating that Tongdosa was used as a military hospital when the Dongnae 31st Army Hospital could not accommodate all the wounded, along with performance records, graffiti, and oral interview materials at a "Citizen Lecture" on the 7th.

Mr. Kim Yong-gil (87 years old, Dongnae-gu, Busan), who lived near Tongdosa during the war, shared vivid eyewitness accounts in an interview with the project team: "At that time, patients scribbled messily on the walls of Yonghwajeon Hall at Tongdosa, and in Daegwangmyeonjeon Hall, they tilted the Buddha statue and climbed and lay on it," describing the chaotic state of the military hospital during wartime.

The project team stated, "Graffiti such as 'I go to Tongdosa, farewell comrades' found on the walls of Daegwangmyeonjeon, along with other scribbles left by wounded soldiers within the temple grounds, convey the sorrows and joys of that time."

The testimony of Mr. Kwak In-hwan (87 years old, Jung-gu, Busan), father of film director Kwak Kyung-taek, recorded by the project team, also touches the heart.

During Busan’s time as a refuge capital, he fled from Jinnampo at age 19, settled in a small temple in Uam-dong, Nam-gu, Busan, became a doctor, and raised children, sharing his life story.

The Busan Refuge Capital Oral History Project is supported by the Busan Metropolitan City. This lecture aims to reflect on the historical and world heritage value of Busan as a refuge capital, which Busan is promoting for UNESCO World Heritage registration.

The event will proceed with a keynote speech by Director Chae Young-hee on "Memories and Records of Refuge Capital Busan," followed by lectures such as "Dongnae 31st Army Hospital and Tongdosa Branch" (Researcher Shim Min-jung) and "Refugee Education on Geoje Island" (Researcher Joo Hyun-hee), and a Q&A session.

Citizens wishing to participate can pre-register via the QR code on the promotional poster and join the Zoom meeting through a link sent by email and text one hour before the lecture.

Director Chae said, "If people who lived in Busan during the refuge capital period or refugees actively provide materials showing their intense lives, we will preserve them as valuable historical materials of Busan."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.