Pentagon Unveils 8.6-by-10.6-Foot Artwork Marking 70 Years of U.S.-South Korea Alliance

The Pentagon unveiled Alliance 70, an 8.6-by-10.6-foot contemporary artwork, on May 13 during the 28th Korean Integrated Defense Dialogue. The piece was created by South Korean artist Seol Kyung-chul and is the first donated by a partner-nation artist to hang in the building.

The artwork commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty signed October 1, 1953, between the United States and the Republic of Korea. That treaty provides for mutual aid in case of armed attack and allows U.S. forces to be stationed in South Korea.

American Marines saved his life, according to the artist's son, Jason Seol. Jason Seol, 44, of Bettendorf, Iowa, is deputy chief of future operations at First Army Headquarters at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. He previously served in South Korea as an action officer with Tri-Command, the joint military structure that includes United Nations Command and U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command.

Kyung-chul spent 18 months on the acrylic painting on oil canvas. The work uses 300,000 tiny images to form the South Korean Taeguk symbol and represents the alliance and shared sacrifices between the two nations. com that the idea grew from family history, his own Army role in Northeast Asia, and the timing after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senior leaders at First Army discussed how to maximize the effect of displaying the piece at the Pentagon.

Unveiling The May 13 ceremony included Seol Kyung-chul, his wife, and Jason Seol.

Seol Kyung-chul was moved to tears when he first saw the completed work on the Pentagon wall. Jason Seol said the artwork gives viewers a place to reflect on how the alliance developed over seven decades. High-ranking officials from both countries have congratulated the family on the piece.