Busan is known for beaches and seafood, but it is also home to a place with a very different purpose: a cemetery for soldiers of the United Nations forces who died in the Korean War. This guide sets out what the site is, what its official sources say about its history, and what a first-time visitor should know before going. We have kept to officially stated facts and a respectful tone, and where we could not confirm something, we say so.
What It Is
The United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK, 재한유엔기념공원) is at 93 UN Pyeonghwa-ro, Nam-gu, Busan. Its own website calls it the one and only United Nations Memorial Cemetery in the world and the final resting place for UN forces who died during the Korean War. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) describes it in similar terms, as the only UN cemetery in the world.
History, as Officially Stated
According to KTO, the cemetery was established by the UN Command in 1951 to inter fallen soldiers of the Korean War. Visit Busan, the city’s official tourism site, says the UN Command established it to honour those soldiers, and that the Republic of Korea donated the cemetery to the United Nations in return for the sacrifices of the UN troops.
Both sources give figures. KTO and Visit Busan say the cemetery initially held about 11,000 graves, and Visit Busan adds that these came from 21 participating countries, with remains consolidated from temporary burial sites across the country. Later, many were repatriated. Today, according to both, about 2,300 graves remain, holding soldiers from 11 countries. Visit Busan names Turkey and the United Kingdom as examples; KTO names the United States and the United Kingdom.
The two sources name different example countries. They agree on the number, 11, so we have not tried to list all of them here. The memorial’s own website, on the page we could read, does not give that list.
What You Can See
The official sources list these features:
- UN Forces Monument. Visit Busan describes a UN Forces Memorial with carved doves.
- Wall of Remembrance. Visit Busan says it was completed in 2006, with names on marble panels. The memorial’s own site says it displays 40,896 names.
- Unknown Soldiers’ Pathway. The memorial’s website says it has 11 water cascades.
- Memorial Service Hall. According to the memorial’s website, it shows a 12-minute documentary about the Korean War and the cemetery.
- Memorabilia Hall, listed by KTO.
- UN Sculpture Park on the east side, and a Monumental Tower for Honoring UN Participation, both listed by Visit Busan.
The memorial’s website also mentions an online VR tour at vr.unmck.or.kr, which may be useful if you want to preview the grounds. We did not open the VR tour, so we cannot describe it.
Visiting Hours and Entry
All three sources agree on the following:
- October to April: 09:00 to 17:00
- May to September: 09:00 to 18:00
- Admission: free
- Closed days: KTO and Visit Busan list the cemetery as open all year round, with no regular closing day.
The memorial’s website had listed a temporary closure on 6 August 2026 (notice dated 31 July), so closures can happen. Before you plan a trip, check the notices on the official site or call +82-51-625-0625. KTO also lists parking as available.
Etiquette
Visit Busan gives these guidelines: keep quiet, dress neatly, no food or pets, and stay off grave boundaries and the grass. The memorial’s own website says a dress code applies and asks visitors to avoid casual athletic wear, with conduct appropriate for a memorial cemetery.
Our suggestion, which is not from an official source: treat it as you would any place of remembrance. Speak quietly, and if you take photographs, be mindful of other visitors who may have come to pay their respects.
How to Get There
Visit Busan gives two ways to reach the cemetery (checked 1 October 2026):
- Metro: Visit Busan says it is an 18-minute walk from Exit 3 of Daeyeon Station (Line 2).
- Bus: numbers 134, 68, 138, 138-1 or 1006, getting off at the UNMCK-Busan Cultural Center stop.
We did not verify current timetables. Use a map app or ask the 1330 Travel Hotline (+82-2-1330, available in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese, according to KTO).
A Separate Site Nearby: The UN Peace Memorial Hall
Visit Busan also lists the United Nations Peace Memorial Hall, a separate site at 106 Honggok-ro 320beon-gil, Nam-gu. It says buses 134, 68 or 51 stop at Sukpo Elementary School, then it is a 7-minute walk, and that the hall has tour guides (we found no such statement for the cemetery itself). Its listed hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, with the last entrance at 17:30. It is closed on Mondays, 1 January, Lunar New Year and Chuseok. The phone number is +82-51-901-1400.
The same page says that from 17 October to 31 December the hall offers partial tours only because of renovations. It does not state the year, so we cannot tell you whether that applies to 2026. Call before you go.
First-time visitor tips
- Our suggestion: come with time to walk slowly. This is a cemetery and a memorial, and the features listed include a Wall of Remembrance and a documentary hall that reward unhurried attention.
- Note the earlier closing time from October to April. The cemetery closes at 17:00 in those months, an hour earlier than from May to September.
- Dress neatly. The memorial’s website says a dress code applies and asks visitors to avoid casual athletic wear.
- Leave food and pets behind, and stay off the grass. Visit Busan lists these among its guidelines, along with staying off grave boundaries.
- Allow for the walk from the metro. Visit Busan gives it as 18 minutes from Daeyeon Station, so the bus is an alternative if you prefer.
FAQ
Is there an entry fee?
No. All three sources we used list admission as free. KTO also lists parking as available.
Is the cemetery open every day?
KTO and Visit Busan list it as open all year with no regular closing day. The memorial’s site did list a temporary closure on 6 August 2026, so check the notices or phone before you travel.
Is the UN Peace Memorial Hall the same place?
No. Visit Busan lists it as a separate site, with its own address, hours and Monday closure. It also mentions partial tours because of renovations, without giving a year, so call before you go.
Can I take a guided tour of the cemetery?
We cannot confirm this. Visit Busan mentions tour guides only for the Peace Memorial Hall, so ask the cemetery directly.
What We Could Not Confirm
- Fares and journey times from your hotel or from the metro station. No official page gave them.
- The full list of the 11 nations. The sources we read give only examples, and those examples differ.
- The year of the Peace Memorial Hall renovation notice.
- Guided tours at the cemetery itself. Visit Busan mentions tour guides only for the Peace Memorial Hall, so ask the cemetery directly.
Before You Go
Allow enough time to walk the grounds slowly, and check the seasonal closing time, since the cemetery closes an hour earlier from October to April. Dress neatly and keep your voice low.
For a quick card version of this guide, follow @rolo.koreaguide on Instagram.
Related guides
Sources
All checked 30 Sep 2026; the Visit Busan page and the memorial site were re-checked on 1 Oct 2026.
- United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea, official English site: https://unmck.or.kr/eng/main/ (hours, dress code, Wall of Remembrance, cascades, film, VR link, contact, closure notice).
- Visit Busan, “UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea”: https://www.visitbusan.net/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000301001001000&uc_seq=277&lang_cd=en (history, features, hours, transport, etiquette, Peace Memorial Hall).
- Korea Tourism Organization, TourAPI English service, content ID 264405, and english.visitkorea.or.kr content 108608 (history, hours, address, phone, parking). Photograph: KTO, KOGL Type 3, used unaltered.
