Korean War photography exhibition comes to Albany

July 5, 2013

Korean War photography exhibition comes to Albany

A photographic exhibition featuring images from the Korean War taken by New Zealand soldiers opened at Massey University’s Albany campus on Wednesday afternoon.

The exhibition “Old Soldiers Never Die” is a collaboration between the Korea-New Zealand Cultural Association, World TV, some New Zealand Korean War veterans and their families.

It shows aspects of soldiers’ lives – from the dusty rural villages and battle-scarred ruins to the demarcation line on the 38th Parallel.

Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley says bringing the exhibition to the Albany campus after its successful opening at the Artstation in Ponsonby is a fantastic opportunity to share a slice of New Zealand’s history that few know much about.

“The opening date for this exhibition at Albany is an auspicious occasion, because on July 3 1950 the Royal New Zealand Navy sent out 2 frigates, the HMNZS Tutira and Pukaki, from Devonport.

“Since 1950 both New Zealand and Korea have changed so much and Auckland, in particular, has a large Korean population. This is a wonderful opportunity to show how New Zealand has contributed to the development of Korea through the efforts of Kayforce. We hope the veterans and their families who couldn’t visit the first exhibition can make it to the Albany campus to see it here, and we invite the wider community to come up and have a look as well.”

Korea-New Zealand Cultural Association President and exhibition curator Tony Keam says the exhibition honours New Zealand soldiers who risked their lives in Korea, and the association has more activities planned this year.

“In addition to the exhibition, we will be publishing a book featuring these images in September and hosting a concert at Kristen School to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the war.”

Dubbed the “Forgotten War” the Korean War broke out on June 25 1950, and New Zealand was one of the first countries to answer the call from the United Nations Security Council. Known as “Kayforce” nearly 6,000 New Zealanders fought in the war – both on land and on the sea. Although the armistice was signed on July 27 1953, New Zealand continued to have a presence until Kayforce was withdrawn from Korea on July 27 1957. By then 45 men had lost their lives – 33 during the war — and one member was taken prisoner of war.

The opening ceremony was held in the library with a lively traditional samul nori Korean percussion performance and an address by the Consul General of the Republic of Korea, Mr Yil-Ho Pak. It was attended by members of the Korea-NZ Cultural Association, Massey University staff and invited guests.

The exhibition is on Level 3 of the library at the Albany campus and runs from July 3-16. It is open to members of the public. Entry is free and there is plenty of parking available. The library’s opening hours are Monday – Thursday: 8am – 11pm, Friday: 8am to 8pm, Saturday/Sunday: 10am to 8pm.

For more information on the Korea-New Zealand Cultural Association, go to: www.konzculture.org.nz Facebook: Korea-New Zealand Cultural Association or e-mail: knzc.association@gmail.com

ENDS

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