Seoul: A state-affiliated agency managing South Korea's war memorial museum is facing backlash after incorporating a Chinese propaganda narrative about the 1950-53 Korean War into a promotional poster. The Korea War Memorial Organization, which oversees the War Memorial of Korea, recently used this narrative in an effort to promote an educational program for elementary school students on the Korean War.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the contentious poster, titled "The Korean War: Different Interpretations," depicted two boys facing each other. One boy viewed the conflict as the "June 25 War," the term commonly used in South Korea for the Korean War, while the other saw it as the "War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea," which aligns with China's official narrative. This narrative portrays the war as a resistance against U.S. aggression, contrasting with South Korea's view of the war's origin as North Korea's illegal invasion of the South.

In response to the controversy, the poster has been removed from the website, and the program has been canceled, as stated in a media note by the defense ministry. The ministry acknowledged the program's original intent to convey the historical fact of North Korea's illegal invasion but admitted that the program lacked sufficient review during its planning stages.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has directed officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. The ministry emphasized that strict measures will be implemented in line with relevant regulations and procedures if any violations are identified.