Director of the National Museum of Korea: "We Will Improve Accessibility for People with Disabilities and the MZ Generation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] “We will create a space that all citizens can easily use.”

On the 11th, Yoon Seong-yong, the newly appointed director of the National Museum of Korea who took office on the 25th of last month, said this at his inauguration press conference. Here, "all citizens" includes people with disabilities, reflecting a commitment to enhance cultural accessibility for vulnerable groups. A specialized space for people with disabilities (Digital Visitor Center) is currently being prepared and is scheduled to open in December.

Services for the hearing- and visually-impaired will be significantly expanded. The Digital Visitor Center will offer Korea’s first sign language service using avatars. A braille kiosk will also assist visually impaired visitors. Dedicated educational facilities for people with disabilities will be established. The saturation and brightness of exhibition halls will be optimized for disabled visitors, and tactile exhibits will be provided.

Plans are also underway to attract the so-called MZ generation, who currently have low museum attendance. External experts and university students will collaborate to present content for the MZ generation next month. As of the end of July, the number of museum visitors was about 1.7 million. The museum expects that with the influx of the MZ generation in the second half of the year, visitor numbers will surpass the pre-COVID figure of 3 million.

Efforts will also be made to strengthen exhibition items. In particular, the Celadon Room, which houses about 400,000 pieces, will be developed into a museum landmark representing Korean culture. The Donation Hall, which has low visitation, will be reorganized by donor, with rooms dedicated to showcasing the lives and stories of donors.

The exhibition of items donated by the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, which is currently being held successfully, will be presented to more citizens. The artifacts will be ‘registered’ in the artifact management computer system to allow online viewing. After completing a regional touring exhibition, overseas exhibitions are planned for 2024. This year, the budget authority for establishing overseas Korean rooms, previously under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was transferred to the museum, enabling more proactive promotion.

Regarding controversy over ‘paid’ exhibitions, Director Yoon explained, “The maximum allowed number of visitors is 220,000, and we struggled with how to select them. We decided that since these visitors benefit from the exhibition, it is appropriate to charge an admission fee,” adding, “We are still deeply considering this issue.”

The Conservation Science Center, which is being promoted for the proper preservation of exhibits, is facing difficulties. Rising labor and material costs have made it difficult to proceed with the existing budget. Discussions are currently underway with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Public Procurement Service regarding an increase from the existing budget of 29.8 billion won.

The museum stated, “Personnel support is essential to preserve exhibits like those donated by Lee Kun-hee for a long time,” and added, “Proper conservation treatment is necessary to create high-quality exhibition content, and the construction of the center is key to this.”

Director Yoon said, “I hope the museum becomes one for all citizens. A museum where no one is discriminated against in viewing and that can inspire everyone, and a museum that can expand from domestic to international stages?we will do our best to achieve this.”