Kookmin University Museum to Reopen as Myeongwon Museum on the 11th

Newly Established Hanok Exterior View

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Kookmin University Museum will reopen as the Myeongwon Museum on the 11th after relocating to a newly constructed hanok building.

Kookmin University announced that the Kookmin University Museum, which opened in 1973, will be newly launched as the Myeongwon Museum, divided into an exhibition hall and a traditional house.

First, the permanent exhibition hall within the exhibition building features a space where visitors can stroll through a traditional house imbued with the scent of tea under the theme "In the Garden of Tea."

Various artifacts are also on display. Uniquely among domestic museums, full rubbings of the Ulsan Bangudae (6m) and Cheonjeon-ri (10m) petroglyphs are permanently exhibited. Additionally, representative artifacts such as Mahan earthenware jars, Goryeo stone coffins, and blue-and-white porcelain are placed in the central area of the exhibition room to harmonize the old and new. The museum also offers diverse attractions by borrowing a hand axe from Seoul National University Museum and Baekje roof tiles from the National Buyeo Museum.

The traditional house is the former residence of Han Gyuseol, a statesman who opposed the Eulsa Treaty. Designated as a Seoul City Folklore Cultural Property in 1977, it was donated by Myeongwon Kim Mihui, the wife of Seonggok Kim Seonggon, who led the revival of Kookmin University, and relocated to its current location in 1980. The traditional house has been used as a venue for tea culture education and traditional cultural performances.

A museum official stated, "Going forward, the 'Myeongwon Museum' plans to establish itself as a complex cultural space representing Kookmin University and the local community by hosting various cultural performances and special exhibitions."