Unveiling Ceremony of Promotional Signboard
‘Selected as a Promotional Hub in the Seoul Metropolitan Area’
The Silla-era horse-riding figure pottery statue installed inside Gyeongbokgung Station in Seoul has taken on the role of ambassador for Gyeongju Expo Park.
On the 24th at 1:30 PM, Gyeongju Expo Park held an unveiling ceremony for the promotional information board in front of the horse-riding figure statue inside Gyeongbokgung Station.
The ceremony was attended by Ryu Hee-rim, CEO of Gyeongju Expo Park; Kim Jang-sil, President of Korea Tourism Organization; Kim Seong-jo, President of Gyeongbuk Culture and Tourism Corporation; Ryu Cheol-gyun, Director of Gyeongbuk Research Institute; Choi Won-seok, Seoul City Public Relations Planning Officer; and officials from Seoul Metro.
Director Ryu Cheol-gyun is also the creator of the 3D animation "Tow Daejang Chacha" (the theme video for 'Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2007'), which is based on the horse-riding figure pottery.
The unveiling ceremony lasted about 20 minutes and was hosted by Lee Da-hyun, CEO of Rear Art Troupe. After the ceremony, CEO Ryu Hee-rim explained to the guests the background of the excavation of the horse-riding figure pottery and provided information about Gyeongju City and Gyeongju Expo Park.
CEO Ryu Hee-rim said, "We held this event with the goal of selecting a promotional base location in Seoul and the metropolitan area to raise awareness of Gyeongju Expo Park and Gyeongju among citizens."
The newly installed promotional boards were placed on the four lower sides of the horse-riding figure pottery statue and include explanations about the horse-riding figure pottery, information and photos of Gyeongju Expo Park, and details about discounts on admission fees for visitors who take photos with the horse-riding figure statue as a background.
Prior to the unveiling ceremony, Gyeongju Expo Park signed a business agreement for mutual exchange and joint development with Seoul Metro, which manages Gyeongbokgung Station.
The main contents of the agreement include providing the environment for attaching and managing two information boards on the horse-riding figure pottery models created on the Gyeongbokgung Station platform, maintaining and repairing the boards, cooperating on mutual promotion and event implementation, and offering discounts on Gyeongju Expo Park admission fees to subway users and Seoul Metro employees who take certification photos with the models.
Inside Gyeongbokgung Station, there is a model statue of the National Treasure No. 91 horse-riding figure pottery, which depicts a pair of master and attendant figures. It was installed inside the station when it was completed in 1985, but there is no record of who created the work.
The pair of statues depicting a mounted figure were reproduced in actual size based on the horse-riding figure pottery excavated from Geumryeong Tomb in Gyeongju in 1924. The master figure wears a luxurious official hat and armor, while the attendant figure is bare-chested with a topknot hairstyle.
The horse-riding figure pottery, though roughly made, realistically depicts the figure and horse equipment, making it an important resource for studying the clothing and horse gear of the time. The actual pottery, held by the National Museum of Korea, measures approximately 30 cm in height, 27 cm in length, and 10 cm in width, and is presumed to have been used as a ritual wine vessel.
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