"Correcting Misinformation Through Workforce Expansion and Budget Securing"
Explanations of Korean cultural heritage exhibited in overseas museums, art galleries, and libraries have been found to be inadequate.
On the 12th, Park Jung, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed out at the Cultural Heritage Administration's national audit that "the labeling of the country of origin, name of the cultural heritage, and the period of production is not being properly done."
Representative examples include the Idodawan at the University of Michigan Museum of Art in the United States and the Red Ganto Vessel at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States. The former is labeled as having been made during the Edo period in Japan. The latter was created during the Unified Silla period but is indicated as being from the 4th century BCE. Park said, "Many Korean cultural heritage items at the National Museum of Ethnology in the Netherlands are labeled as Japanese cultural heritage."
The institution responsible for correcting and managing labeling errors is the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation. However, among the 25 current staff members, only twelve are assigned to the project department. The movable cultural heritage items located overseas that they must manage amount to 193,136 pieces across 21 countries. Immovable cultural heritage is also estimated to be about 1,200 sites in 18 countries (as of last August).
Park stated, "Considering the quantity and scale, it is insufficient to promote a comprehensive project for overseas cultural heritage." He added, "With increased personnel and secured budget, the role of correcting incorrect information must be properly carried out."
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