Reevaluating the History of Walker House at Pukyong National University

At Pukyong National University's Daeyeon Campus, the so-called 'Walker House' is often thought to be the space where General Walton Walker of the U.S. 8th Army resided while commanding UN forces during the Korean War. However, this notion is inaccurate, and scholars argue that it should be correctly referred to as the 'U.S. 8th Army Command and Control Center.'

They suggest that the history of the U.S. military's communication hub, overshadowed by anecdotes about specific individuals, along with the international medical relief efforts that lasted over five years and the student resistance to reclaim the campus, should be fully restored as 'multifaceted facts.'

During a symposium titled 'The Korean War, Pukyong National University, and Walker House' held on July 31 at the university, experts in history, military studies, and urban engineering pointed out the exaggerations and inaccuracies surrounding Walker House and called for a precise historical reassessment.

Professor Lee Dong-won of Seoul National University analyzed that the military character of Busan was not created suddenly after the outbreak of the Korean War. He noted that Busan had been a military transport hub for Japan's continental expansion since the Sino-Japanese War, and by the time of liberation, approximately 8,400 Japanese troops were stationed there, making it 'close to a fully developed logistics city.'

The port, rail, and communication facilities established during the Japanese occupation were fully utilized during the U.S. occupation and the military support for the Korean War, and it was in this context that Pukyong National University was designated as a command center for the U.S. 8th Army.

According to Lee Sang-ho, a researcher at the Ministry of National Defense's Military History Institute, an analysis of official U.S. Army records shows that the U.S. 8th Army was present at Busan Fisheries College (now Pukyong National University) for only 16 days and 22 hours, from 4 p.m. on September 6 to 2 p.m. on September 23, 1950. The primary purpose of the campus at that time was not as General Walker's residence but to protect vital communication equipment like teletypes that were irreplaceable in East Asia. General Walker and his key staff remained at the forward command post in Daegu to direct operations at the front.

The researcher emphasized, 'Since there is no evidence that General Walker resided here, referring to it as 'Walker House' is inaccurate; it should be called the 'U.S. 8th Army Command and Control Center.' He also pointed out that despite only three countries (South Korea, the U.S., and the U.K.) deploying ground troops to the Korean Peninsula, the practice of inflating the narrative to describe it as the place that commanded a '16-nation coalition' needs to be thoroughly fact-checked.

Professor Lee Im-ha from the East Asia Research Institute at Sungkonghoe University highlighted the campus's transformation into a medical hub after the command post left. Starting in November 1951, the 21st Evacuation Hospital, followed by the 21st Base Hospital and the Swedish Red Cross Hospital (Seojeon Hospital), operated as a war hospital for a total of five years and four months until March 1957.

Professor Lee stated, 'In the history of Pukyong National University, the medical institutions played a more significant role for a longer period than the logistics command.' He emphasized the intense history of medical relief efforts, noting that students from the fisheries school protested against the Swedish Red Cross's takeover of the hospital in 1955 and successfully resisted the establishment of the 5th Army Hospital by the Ministry of National Defense, ultimately leading to the campus's return in April 1957.

Professor Kang Dong-jin from Kyungsung University stated that while Walker House was not included among the 11 core heritage sites of the 'Heritage of the Refugee Capital Busan' being pursued for UNESCO World Heritage status, it is still an important 'linked heritage' that supports the narrative.

According to Professor Kang, Walker House was initially considered a candidate for World Heritage status in 2016, but it was removed from the list due to changes in its original form caused by fire and restoration, as well as uncertainties regarding Walker's residency.

However, he clarified, 'Being excluded from the core heritage does not mean a loss of historical value.' He emphasized the 'site specificity' of why the U.S. military chose this campus for command and medical operations due to its proximity to the coast and favorable transportation. He suggested that the building should be preserved in its current location and utilized as a site to explain how the refugee capital of Busan overcame war and engaged with the international community.

It has become evident that the history of Walker House and the campus during the war is not well known among current students. One student attending the symposium expressed surprise, saying, 'I didn't even know there was a building called Walker House on campus.' This highlights that without accurate historical explanations, even existing buildings cannot ensure the transmission of memory.

Experts unanimously agreed that removing unverified anecdotes about Walker would allow the multifaceted history of the U.S. 8th Army's command and communication hub, the humanitarian efforts of international medical personnel, and the student resistance for the campus's return to shine through. The task of precisely restoring the military, medical, and educational history inscribed on the campus from 1950 to 1957 has emerged as a new challenge for the refugee capital of Busan and the university's history.

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