A black-and-white picture of stone-faced soldiers, taken moments before battle. A poignant video clip showing American war veterans giving testimonies of the hardships they faced in Korea, thousands of miles away from home.

These are only some of the 120 photographs and 60 videos on display at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. The exhibition, titled “Sixty Years After the Armistice (1953-2013),” is to commemorate the 60th year of peace since the Korean Armistice Agreement in 1953.

This is the first special exhibition held at the museum since it opened its doors last December. Originally the Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry building, the converted museum lacks indoor space for special exhibition halls and most of the displays for the current exhibit, such as photographs and videos, are outdoors. Historical artifacts are on view inside.

The exhibition is split into five main sections: “Memories of the War We Have Not Experienced,” “Conflict, Reconciliation, and Peace,” “The Korean War Seen by Participating Nations,” “60 Years Later, From Ruins to Prosperity” and “DMZ.”

Copies of the actual armistice agreement and other official documents are on display, allowing visitors to page through the historical records themselves.

“The Korean War Seen by Participating Nations” is a series of videos located on the main stairway of the museum that focus on foreign veterans who fought for South Korea during the war.

“DMZ,” the only part of the exhibition situated inside the museum, is a series of special video episodes that focus on introducing the ecosystem in the no-man’s land.

The majority of the content in the exhibition covers well-known historical events, but the displays also include details that no textbooks would have, such as how the 40th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army established a school in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, and continued to keep close relations with the school for 60 years.

“The people of this generation have not experienced war first-hand. Through this special exhibition we would like to deliver the vivid details of the war to people,” said Kim Ki-yong, a senior curator at the museum.

The special exhibition also includes various programs such as special lectures by experts, a concert introducing the music of the ‘50s, and outdoor war-movie screenings. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. It is located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, near Gwanghwamun Station.

By Cha Yo-rim (yorimcha@heraldcorp.com)