{{Short description|National cemetery in South Korea}} {{Infobox cemetery |name= Seoul National Cemetery |country=South Korea |body= |image= KOCIS KoreanWar Veterans Korea 20130726 01 (9376560142).jpg |caption= Hyeonchung gate |established= 1956 |designer= |location= Dongjak-dong, [[Dongjak-gu]], [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]]<br />{{coord|37|29|56|N|126|58|20|E|display=inline,title}} |embedded={{Infobox Korean name/auto | hangul = ^국립_^서울_현충원 | hanja = 國立서울顯忠院 | child = yes }} }}
'''Seoul National Cemetery''' ({{Korean|hangul=국립서울현충원|}}) is a cemetery in [[Dongjak-dong]], [[Dongjak District]], [[Seoul]], South Korea. It is reserved for Korean veterans, including those who died in the [[Korean independence movement]], [[Korean War]], and [[Vietnam War]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snmb.mil.kr/snc_2009/web/eng_snc/m12.jsp# |title= K2WebWizard|website=www.snmb.mil.kr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610032923/http://www.snmb.mil.kr/snc_2009/web/eng_snc/m12.jsp |archive-date=2012-06-10}}</ref> Four [[President of South Korea|South Korean presidents]] are buried in the cemetery.
The Seoul National Cemetery is near [[Dongjak Station]] on [[Seoul Subway Line 4]] or [[Seoul Subway Line 9]]. Except for some special days, the Seoul National Cemetery usually allows access to the public.
== History == When established by presidential decree of [[Syngman Rhee]] in 1956, Seoul National Cemetery was the country's only national cemetery. As the cemetery reached capacity in the early 1970s, [[Daejeon National Cemetery]] was established in 1976. Both cemeteries were originally overseen by the [[Ministry of Defence (South Korea)|Ministry of Defence]] until 2006, when the Daejeon National Cemetery was transferred to the [[Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (South Korea)|Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affairs (South Korea)]].
==Notable people buried== [[File:Seoul National Cemetery 29 (18290547068).jpg|thumb|right|300px|Tomb of President [[Syngman Rhee]] in Seoul National Cemetery]] [[File:Tomb of President Park Chung Hee and Mrs.Park in Seoul National Cemetery.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Tomb of President [[Park Chung Hee]] in Seoul National Cemetery]] [[File:Seoul National Cemetery 26th Sanctuary.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Seoul National Cemetery 26th Sanctuary]] * [[Syngman Rhee]] – first [[President of South Korea]] – buried 1965 ** [[Franziska Donner]] – wife of President Rhee – buried 1992 * [[Park Chung Hee]] – third President of South Korea – buried 1979 ** [[Yuk Young-soo]] – wife of President Park – buried 1974 * [[Kim Dae-jung]] – 8th President of South Korea – buried 2009. On his death, he was buried at the National Cemetery, instead of in Daejeon National Cemetery, the initially planned burial site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2009082001070627026001|title=서울현충원 국가원수 묘역 빈자리 없어|website=[[Munhwa Ilbo]]|access-date=30 September 2018}}</ref> **[[Lee Hee-ho]] - wife of President Kim Dae-jung - buried 2019 * [[Kim Young-sam]] – 7th President of South Korea – buried 2015<ref name="State funeral - AP">{{cite web | url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c236ea7ace424a20953bd5985ebf59d4/s-koreans-mourn-ex-president-kim-state-funeral | title=S. Koreans mourn ex-President Kim in state funeral | publisher=[[Associated Press]] | date=26 November 2015 | access-date=26 November 2015 | author=Kim Tong-hyung | archive-date=26 November 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126190658/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c236ea7ace424a20953bd5985ebf59d4/s-koreans-mourn-ex-president-kim-state-funeral | url-status=dead }}</ref> **[[Son Myung Soon]] - wife of President Kim Young-Sam - buried 2024
== North Korean controversies == On June 22, 1970, three [[North Korea]]n agents broke into the cemetery and planted a bomb. One agent was killed when the bomb was accidentally detonated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?articleId=1970062200329201005&edtNo=2&printCount=1&publishDate=1970-06-22&officeId=00032&pageNo=1&printNo=7603&publishType=00020|title=武裝(무장)공비 2~3명 國立(국립)묘지 爆破(폭파)기도|website=NAVER Newslibrary|access-date=30 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=A Korean Red Agent Dies in Seoul Blast|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/06/23/archives/a-korean-red-agent-dies-in-seoul-blast.html?mcubz=0|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 23, 1970}}</ref>
In August 2005, a visit by a North Korean delegation to the cemetery caused some anger in South Korea. The delegation, which had 182 officials, was led by [[Kim Ki-nam (politician)|Kim Ki-Nam]]. The visit not only sparked outrage among those opposed to warmer relations with the North, but also raised fears that a future delegation from the South might be expected to pay their respects to [[Kim Il-sung]] in Pyongyang.<ref>{{cite web|date=14 August 2005|title=N.Korean National Cemetery Visit Sparks Concern|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2005/08/14/2005081461020.html?related_all|publisher=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|access-date=9 January 2006}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of national cemeteries by country]] * [[Daejeon National Cemetery]] * [[Kumsusan Palace of the Sun]] – in North Korea * [[Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery]] – in North Korea * [[Patriotic Martyrs' Cemetery]] – in North Korea * [[United Nations Memorial Cemetery]] in [[Busan]] * [[Cemetery for North Korean and Chinese Soldiers]] in [[Paju]] * [[War Memorial of Korea]] in [[Seoul]] * [[May 18th National Cemetery]] in [[Gwangju]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Wikivoyage}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20051023124521/http://www.nmb.mil.kr/ Korean-language site of the National Memorial Board] {{Seoul parks}} [[Category:Buildings and structures in Seoul]] [[Category:Korean War memorials and cemeteries]] [[Category:Cemeteries in South Korea]] [[Category:National cemeteries]] [[Category:1956 establishments in South Korea]] [[Category:Dongjak District]] [[Category:Seoul National Cemetery| ]] [[Category:Mausoleums in South Korea]]