I created this oil painting about the Korean War to remind people how many lives and sacrifices were given to protect the country, its people, and its peace. The work helps viewers feel how fragile peace truly is in everyday life. Even more than seventy years later, the Korean Peninsula remains divided, families are still separated, and the tension between North and South Korea continues long after the Cold War ended.
The 1950 attack on Seoul happened when South Korea was unprepared. Many soldiers and civilians were killed, the city was destroyed, and people were forced to flee or die. Seoul fell completely to the North, and the suffering was immense, especially for women and children. In my painting, I do not show graphic violence. Instead, I express the tragedy in a poetic way—an obscured sense of death and loss, a burning sky mixed with clear blue, and a church cross that reflects the search for hope. Even in devastation, God’s presence offers strength. Seoul’s recovery in 1951, supported by the UN and the United States, showed that hope can survive. The cross remains in my painting as a symbol of faith and the future of South Korea.
