National Palace Museum Presents a New Future

15th Anniversary Opening Ceremony Today... Tracing the Footsteps and Presenting Future Vision

On the 27th, the National Palace Museum in Jongno-gu, Seoul, which closed due to the spread of COVID-19, is quiet. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

The National Palace Museum of Korea reflects on its 15 years of history and presents its future vision. On the 13th at 2 p.m., a 15th anniversary event will be held in the museum auditorium. Former Cultural Heritage Administrator Yoo Hong-jun will explain the birth and significance of the National Palace Museum of Korea, and Jang Nam-won, director of Ewha Womans University Museum, will discuss its status and identity as a royal culture museum. The panel discussion "Seven People of the Palace, Talking about the Museum" will also look back on the past 15 years. Former directors So Jae-gu, Jeong Jong-su, Lee Gwi-young, Choi Jong-deok, Kim Yeon-su, Ji Byeong-mok, and current director Kim Dong-young are expected to participate.

The museum declares its goal to realize a happy life through culture and introduces four strategies: utilizing the Digital New Deal, creating a safe and pleasant environment, realizing social value, and sharing research results and professional capabilities. It plans to make multifaceted efforts such as producing online content and establishing a second storage facility.

The National Palace Museum of Korea was launched in August 2005, originating from the Royal Relics Exhibition Hall opened in 1992. It houses about 70,000 royal relics and court artifacts from the Joseon Dynasty. Representative cultural assets include the Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunya Jido engraving (National Treasure No. 228), the portrait of King Yeongjo (Treasure No. 932), the royal palanquin of King Sunjong (Registered Cultural Heritage No. 318), and the Joseon royal seals and royal documents (UNESCO Memory of the World). Since 2009, it has established itself as a major museum attracting over one million visitors annually.