The First Female Curator in Korea, Inan-young, Passes Away at Age 90

Also the Top Female Archaeologist in Our Country

Lee Nan-young, the first female curator in Korea and former director of the National Gyeongju Museum, passed away on the 8th at the age of 90.

Lee was Korea's first female archaeologist. She graduated from the Department of History at Seoul National University and worked at the National Museum from 1957 until her retirement in 1993. Notably, in 1986, she was appointed director of the Gyeongju Museum, becoming the first female director of a national museum.

Settling in Gyeongju, she donated 3,680 books from her collection to the Gyeongju Museum. Each was a valuable resource used for academic research. Last year, just before turning 90, she also published "Whispers in the Museum," a compilation of stories about the artifacts at the Gyeongju Museum.

Her contributions to Korean archaeology were significant. Known as the "woman who digs graves" at excavation sites of buried cultural heritage, she devoted herself passionately to excavations. She was also responsible for changing the name of pottery previously called "즐목문토기" to "Bissalmun pottery" (comb-pattern pottery). To protect the National Treasure, the Emille Bell (Seongdeok Daewang Sinjong), she even halted the traditional New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremony.

The funeral is being held at the Special Room 2 of the funeral hall at Dongguk University Gyeongju Hospital in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The funeral procession will take place on the morning of the 10th.