Korean Emigration Museum hosts exhibition on Korean POWs in Hawaii

The Korean Emigration and Migration Museum in Incheon is hosting a special exhibition titled ‘Days Trapped in Paradise: Records of Korean Prisoners of War in Hawaii’. Running from September 22 until February 21, 2027, the exhibition focuses on the history of Koreans who were forced into labor by Japan during the Pacific War and subsequently became prisoners of war for the United States.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, many Koreans were mobilized by Japan for military construction and supply logistics across the Pacific. After the Japanese retreat, these individuals were transferred to the Honouliuli Prisoner of War Camp in Hawaii. The exhibition uses the perspective of Hwang Hae-su, a native of Chungju, to trace the journey from forced labor in the South Sea Islands to life within the camp.

Key features of the exhibition include JICPOA interrogation reports, photographs of the camps, badges worn by prisoners, and the ‘Free Korean News’ published by the captives. It also highlights the support provided by the Korean community in Hawaii through donations and gifts. The event is co-hosted with the University of Hawaii Oral History Center and the Hawaii Korean Immigrant Research Center.