National Museum of Korea to celebrate anniversaries with special exhibits

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National Museum of Korea to celebrate anniversaries with special exhibits

Published: 23 Jan. 2025, 14:33 Updated: 23 Jan. 2025, 17:38

YIM SEUNG-HYE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

″Painting of the Battle of Pyongyangseong Fortress between the Japanese and the Joseon-Ming Alliance in 1593″ depicts the Joseon-Ming Alliance reclaiming Pyongyangseong Fortress from Japan in January 1593. [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]

The National Museum of Korea has a lot to celebrate this year.

The state-run museum is busy preparing a series of special exhibitions to commemorate both the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule and the 60th anniversary of normalized Korea-Japan diplomatic relations this year. 2025 also marks the 80th anniversary of the museum’s establishment following its transition from the Japanese Government-General Museum after liberation, as well as the 20th anniversary of its move to the current location in Yongsan District, central Seoul.

“Now is the time for the National Museum of Korea to evolve further and solidify its position as a premier cultural hub representing the nation,” Kim Jae-hong, director of the National Museum of Korea, said during a press conference held on Monday, as he unveiled an ambitious road map under four principles: empathy, openness, integration and coexistence.

“Inwangjesaekdo" (Scene of Mount Inwang After Rain) by Jeong Seon (1676-1759) [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]

Admiral Yi Sun-shin exhibition

One of the highlights the museum is preparing to mark the occasions is its first large-scale exhibition about Admiral Yi Sun-shin (1545–1598) and his era. The exhibition, titled “Yi Sun-shin,” will kick off in November and run through March 2026. Over 100 artifacts will be exhibited together, including ″Chungmugong Yi Collection,″ the admiral's personal collection of works that is still used as important data when researching Yi and the Imjin War, and the ″Painting of the Battle of Pyongyangseong Fortress between the Japanese and the Joseon-Ming Alliance in 1593,” which depicts the Joseon-Ming Alliance reclaiming Pyongyangseong Fortress from Japan in January 1593. There will be artifacts from overseas as well, including the “Hizen Nagoya Castle Campaign Scroll,” which documents Japan’s military campaign during the period.

″Chungmugong Yi Collection″ is admiral Yi Sun-shin's personal collection of works, which is still used as important data when researching Yi and the Imjin War. [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]

Kim emphasized that the exhibit will not merely focus on Admiral Yi as a war hero but explore his humanity and yearning for peace as expressed in his Nanjung Ilgi, or War Diary.

"This exhibition coincides with the 20th anniversary of our relocation to Yongsan, and it will reflect our accumulated research on Admiral Yi’s life and his contributions to history," Kim said.

The exhibit will feature a hyeonja chongtong, one of the cylinder-type guns that can be shot by manual ignition. The third heaviest gun of its kind was found at Gohyeonman Bay in Geoje County, South Gyeongsang. The first hyeonja chongtong was made during the reign of King Taejong of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), and this specific gun was manufactured in 1596, according to the inscription on the gunpowder chamber. [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]

The exhibit will also incorporate recent archaeological findings, including significant discoveries such as the recovery of hyeonja chongtong, one of the cylinder-type guns that can be shot by manual ignition, as well as human remains from the Imjin War excavated at the Dongnae Fortress moat in Busan during an excavation project that took place between 2005 and 2008.

According to Yoon Sang-duk, head of the archaeology and history department at the museum, the exhibition will leverage digital technologies to present a comprehensive view of Admiral Yi’s life and the broader context of his time.

80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation

An ancient Greek bronze helmet that was given as a victory memento to marathoner Sohn Kee-chung when he won the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games held in Berlin will be on display. [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]

From July 25 to Dec. 28, the museum will be celebrating the legacy of Sohn Kee-chung (1912–2002), the first Korean athlete to win an Olympic gold medal when he finished first in the marathon event in Berlin in 1936. Sohn is hailed as a historical figure and is remembered as a symbol of Korean perseverance and identity during a time of national struggle. When competing in the Olympic Games, Sohn had to participate as a Japanese athlete under the Japanese flag. During the medal ceremony, the runner famously lowered his head in protest as the Japanese anthem played, which was reported in the Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo at that time. Back then, the International Olympic Committee credited Japan with Sohn’s gold, but in 2011, it recognized Sohn's Korean nationality in his official profile.

At the exhibit, artifacts such as the ancient Greek bronze helmet that was given as a victory memento to Sohn when he won the medal will be displayed.

Marathoner Sohn Kee-chung, Korea's marathon gold medalist at the Berlin Olympics in 1936 [JOONGANG ILBO]

In August, the museum will host "Together Toward Independence," a commemorative exhibit for the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. This exhibition will feature 20 significant artifacts, including declarations signed by independence activists Yoon Bong-gil and Lee Bong-chang and patriotic gold donation receipts.

Deepening cultural exchange with Japan

In acknowledgment of 60 years of normalized diplomatic ties between Korea and Japan, the museum will present "Rediscovering Japanese Art" from June 17 to Aug. 10. The exhibit will showcase 60 artifacts, including 40 on loan from the Tokyo National Museum. Among the highlights are a Shiba no Iori jar (16th-17th century) and a kosode (18th century), or small-sleeved robe, with autumn grass patterns, both designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan.

In a reciprocal cultural exchange, some of the National Museum of Korea’s collection will travel to Tokyo next year under the title "Treasures of Korean Art."

Japan's important cultural property ″Kosode Shiraayachi Akikusa Moyo″ owned by Korin Ogata will be on display. [TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM]

"This is the first major exhibition focusing on Japanese art in the 20 years since the museum relocated in Yongsan,” said Yang Sung-hyuk, head of the World Culture Division at the museum. "It will be an opportunity to appreciate the unique aesthetic sensibilities of Japanese art, which is close to us geographically but not fully understood."

However, challenges still remain. The museum has been making efforts to bring over significant Korean artifacts such as the landscape painting “Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Land” by early Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) artist Ahn Gyeon, which is housed at Japan's Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. But negotiations have not been successful, according to the museum.

20th anniversary of the National Museum of Korea

The museum will be reflecting on its journey over the past two decades through special exhibitions. From June to August, an exhibition on Joseon-era art will shed light on the transformative innovations and developments in the art of early Joseon, highlighting its significance within the cultural and historical context of the newly established dynasty.

"Connect20: Linking People, Weaving Memories,” which will run from July to December, will feature 20 artifacts whose significance has been reevaluated through research conducted over the past two decades at the museum. Alongside these artifacts, the stories of the individual researchers will be presented as well.

"Two Young Girls at the Piano" (1892) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir [THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART]

Vincent Van Gogh's "The Flowering Orchid" (1888) [THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART]

Other plans for the museum for this year include the opening of a new hall dedicated to the cultural dynamism of Islamic civilization in November. It will showcase 96 objects from the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar.

Impressionist masterpieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art will also be coming to Korea in November, and the country's first-ever survey of Pacific Indigenous cultures will be opening in April in collaboration with the Quai Branly Museum in Paris.

"We aim to connect people and weave collective memories through this year’s diverse programming, while shedding light on Korea’s historical and cultural richness,” said director Kim.