YONGJI LAKE AND KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL

YONGI LAKE AND KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL

Yongji Lake is a manmade lake about a kilometer around. It has a nice park next to it and a nice running track around. There are lampposts around the lake that play music. I run at Yongji Lake, but haven't been recently because it has been too hot.

Yongji Lake

Yongji Lake

 The city of Changwon has a mascot named Piumi. Most Korean cities have a mascot. On his head he wears a tri-colored crown because of the recent (2010) incorporation of Changwon’s neighboring cities of Masan and Jinhae as part of Changwon proper. Here is a little info on Piumi courtesy of a popular Changwon blog: Changwonderful. “Piumi is the messenger of Changwon City’s dream and hope “PIUMI” meaning “Blooming new hope of Changwon City” characterizes cherry blossoms as a cute child. Piumu a guide for realizing dreams and hope of Changwon City and a love messenger helping uniting and harmonizing its citizens”

Piumi

For more info about Korean city mascots check out Changwonderful’s breakdown

Right next to Yongji Lake is a Korean War Memorial. There are many Korean War memorials throughout the country. This area was very much an active part of the Korean War. There was the Battle of Masan and in its darkest days for South Korea, the border of South Korean occupied territory had been pushed all the way to Busan (the green area on the map).

At one point in the Korean War,
South Korea was pushed back so far
that the only territory they held
was the green part of the map.

Also, interestingly enough Changwon is South Korea’s backup capital. Because so many factories produce weapons there’s a hidden arsenal here. The underground walkways can be used as bomb shelters. Changwon is also one of the few Korean cities that is a planned city. The roads and buildings are numbered for escape route efficiency. And also the streets were planned to be very extra wide to serve as runways if need be.

The Korean War Memorial has some old planes and tanks and a gyrocopter.

One man gyrocopter