Days Trapped in Paradise: Korean POW Records from Hawaii in Incheon
Read the Korean original
At a glance
Official information verified- Dates
- 2026-09-22 ~ 2027-02-21
- Venue
- Museum of Korea Emigration History, B1 special gallery
- Hours
- 09:00–18:00; last admission 17:30. Closed Mondays except public holidays, and January 1
- Admission
- Free
- Address
- 329 Wolmi-ro, Jemulpo-gu, Incheon
Days Trapped in Paradise examines Korean prisoners held in Hawaii during the Pacific War. Opening September 22, 2026, the free exhibition continues through February 21, 2027 at the Museum of Korea Emigration History. Its subject is forced displacement, far removed from Hawaii’s familiar holiday image.
Visit details
- Dates: 2026-09-22 – 2027-02-21
- Venue: Museum of Korea Emigration History, B1 special gallery
- Address: 329 Wolmi-ro, Jemulpo-gu, Incheon
- Hours: 09:00–18:00; last admission 17:30. Closed Mondays except public holidays, and January 1
- Admission: Free
Following a documented life
The exhibition follows Hwang Hae-su, a real person from Chungju, through wartime mobilization to the South Pacific, capture by US forces and transfer to Honouliuli in Hawaii. Consider not only the route traveled, but who controlled those movements. This is a history of coercion rather than voluntary migration.
Reading different kinds of evidence
Materials include JICPOA interrogation reports, badges worn by prisoners, an account of visiting the detention camp and the Korean prisoners’ newspaper Jayu Haninbo. Compare an administrative record with writing produced by the people being recorded. Let the museum’s labels establish identities and context rather than imagining an undocumented story for a photographed person.
Daily life and community support
The show also considers life in the camp, tensions between Korean and Japanese prisoners, and assistance from the Korean community in Hawaii. Re-created barracks and dining spaces accompany historical material. Distinguish reconstruction from an original photograph when considering how the past is presented.
Visiting Wolmido
The B1 gallery opens 09:00–18:00, last admission 17:30. Closed Mondays unless a public holiday, and January 1. The current official address is 329 Wolmi-ro, Jemulpo-gu; older navigation systems may retain a former district name. Inquiries: 032-440-4710. The exhibition is jointly organized with the University of Hawaiʻi Center for Oral History and the Center for Korean Immigration Studies in Hawaii. Leave time for slow reading and a quiet conversation afterward.
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Official sources
Information checked: September 22, 2026