Sold at Auction in the US
Donated to the National Museum of Korea
On the 11th, at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Cho Hyun-sang, Chairman of the Young Friends of the Museum (YFM) and Vice Chairman of Hyosung Group (left), and Yoon Sung-yong, Director of the National Museum of Korea, are posing for a commemorative photo at the YFM Joseon Dynasty Najeon Ship Donation Ceremony. [Photo by Hyosung Group]
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] Cho Hyunsang, Vice Chairman of Hyosung Group and chairman of the National Museum of Korea’s cultural sponsorship social club ‘Young Friends’ (YFT), donated a Joseon Dynasty mother-of-pearl inlaid box that had been circulating overseas to the National Museum of Korea on the 11th.
This donation was made possible through funds steadily raised by YFT members under the leadership of Vice Chairman Cho. When a mother-of-pearl inlaid box from the early Joseon period, highly valuable as a cultural asset, appeared at an auction held in the United States last year, they successfully placed the winning bid.
This mother-of-pearl inlaid box is regarded as a masterpiece that well represents the characteristics of 16th-century Joseon mother-of-pearl lacquerware craftsmanship. Najeon is a craft technique where patterns are created by grinding and attaching beautiful abalone or shell pieces onto wooden furniture or objects. The quantity of mother-of-pearl lacquerware produced during this period is limited, making this YFT donation even more significant. It is presumed to have been used for storing valuables or stationery items.
Vice Chairman Cho stated, "In the past, Baekbeom Kim Gu said, ‘The power of culture makes ourselves happy and further brings happiness to others.’ We will continue to recover our cultural assets and promote the museum to enhance the power of our culture and contribute, even if just a little, to the development of culture."
YFT was formed in June 2008, centered around six individuals including Vice Chairman Cho Hyunsang of Hyosung Group and Chairman Yoon Seokmin of Taeyoung Group. Young business leaders from the corporate world participate, including founding member Vice Chairman Cho, Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Euisun, Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yongjin, and GS Energy President Heo Yongsu.
YFT has taken the lead in purchasing and donating Korean cultural assets that had been exported overseas. In 2009, they donated 7,452 pieces of celadon roof tiles to the ‘Cheongjajeong (靑瓷亭)’ within the National Museum of Korea, and in 2014, they brought back the ‘Goryeo Najeon Gyeongham’ from Japan after 900 years. In 2018, they also purchased and donated a Goryeo Dynasty Buddhist altar that had been exported to Japan.
Additionally, every year, YFT invites 20 to 30 socially disadvantaged neighbors who have difficulty experiencing the museum to provide opportunities for museum visits and learning. They have also consistently supported educational and research activities such as improving the National Museum of Korea’s main exhibition hall and establishing the ‘Room of Contemplation,’ a dedicated exhibition room for the Ban Gosayuw statue, along with promotional activities to raise public awareness of the museum.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman Cho was selected as a ‘Next Generation Leader of Korea-China-Japan’ in 2005 and a ‘Next Generation Global Leader’ by the World Economic Forum in 2007. He was a founding member of the ‘National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Development Support Committee’ in 2011 and currently serves as a director of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Business and Industry Advisory Committee, actively representing the next generation of business leaders.
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