Nexon Computer Museum Receives Entire Collection Donation from Zero Hana Computer Museum

The second storage room of the Nexon Computer Museum. (Photo by Nexon)

Nexon announced on the 6th that the Nexon Computer Museum has received a donation of 4,573 items from the entire collection of the Zero Hana Computer Museum.

The Nexon Computer Museum and the Zero Hana Computer Museum are the only two offline computer museums in South Korea. The Nexon Computer Museum, Asia's first computer museum, has been open in Jeju since 2013, exhibiting the history of computers and games in an interactive format. The Zero Hana Computer Museum opened in Jeju in 2018; although it is not an officially registered museum, it has showcased an extensive collection that meticulously covers the history of personal computers, based on the long-term collecting activities of Director Moon Ki-hyun.

Due to a decrease in visitors caused by COVID-19, the Zero Hana Computer Museum was forced to close last year. Director Moon Ki-hyun sought a place where the collection could be used for public benefit and, after reviewing various institutions including national museums, ultimately decided to donate the collection to the Nexon Computer Museum. This decision was reportedly influenced by the fact that the Nexon Computer Museum has been operating stably for 10 years and has become an optimal space where many people can experience computers and games.

The entire donation of 4,573 items consists mainly of computers and software categorized as computer-related items, game consoles and software categorized as gaming devices, and books and other IT devices categorized as others. Notably, the computer-related items include a dense collection ranging from early personal computers that grew significantly in the 1970s and 1980s such as Apple, IBM, Tandy, and Commodore, to domestic computers like Daewoo and Sambo that appeared from the late 1980s. It also includes MSX computers mainly produced in Japan, such as National and Hitachi, many of which are maintained in operable condition. With this donation, the Nexon Computer Museum’s collection size has greatly expanded to over 16,000 items.

The Nexon Computer Museum is actively responding to external donations by installing a second storage facility and hiring registrars (collection management experts). The donated items from the Zero Hana Computer Museum took more than nine months to inspect and register, and their condition is currently being improved through cleaning and operation testing. Additionally, an exhibition reflecting the meaningful significance of the Zero Hana Computer Museum’s donation is being planned.