National Museum of Korea to Reopen Prehistoric and Ancient Gallery on the 15th
Goguryeo Room Expanded by 1.7 Times
New "Learning Spaces" for Children Introduced
The National Museum of Korea has newly renovated the Prehistoric and Ancient Gallery and will welcome visitors starting from the 15th. The overarching theme of the entire first-floor exhibition hall is "Traces of Life Become History." It vividly expresses humanity's attempts to adapt to the environment and the resulting changes in life.
Projection video of Dongsam-dong Shell Midden (a shell mound from the Neolithic Age with comb-patterned pottery excavated in Yeongdo-gu, Busan) exhibited in the Neolithic Room. Provided by the National Museum of Korea.
The exhibition hall has undergone significant changes through a major reorganization from 2023 to 2025. ▲The production techniques have been advanced to help visitors gain a three-dimensional understanding of the exhibition, and videos and graphics related to the exhibits have been greatly expanded. ▲The Goguryeo Room, which attracted high visitor interest, has been expanded by 1.7 times (totaling 365.2㎡) with a substantial increase in excavation materials. ▲Explanations are presented in a narrative style to enhance comprehension. ▲For the first time, a learning space for children has also been established.
At the entrance of the Prehistoric and Ancient Gallery, a large wall features a video depicting the 4.6 billion-year history of the Earth. It compresses the process from the Earth's formation to the appearance of ancient humans, the use of fire and tools, cooperative hunting, and survival.
Visitors can choose to explore either side of the entrance wall. The right side is dedicated to the Prehistoric area exhibitions (Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age), while the left side showcases the Ancient area exhibitions (Gojoseon, Buyeo, Samhan, Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla).
Hand axe discovered by Greg Bowen displayed in the Paleolithic Room. Provided by the National Museum of Korea
The Paleolithic, the starting point of the prehistoric exhibition, actively utilizes video materials. Limitations in the display of tens of thousands of years old chipped stone tools are supplemented with reproduction videos and illustrated explanations. The exhibition features three-dimensional reconstructions of Neolithic pit houses, projection videos of the Dongsam-dong shell midden, and presentations of the Gadeokdo tomb. In the Bronze Age room, visitors can observe the figures of community leaders through large dolmens and stone coffin tombs rich in burial goods.
Bronze dagger with a lute-shaped blade from Hakpyeong-ri, Cheongju, displayed in the Bronze Age Room. Provided by the National Museum of Korea
In the Ancient exhibition, bronze artifacts such as the distinctive dagger-axes of Gojoseon, including the lute-shaped and slender daggers, are prominently displayed. The cultures of Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye, and Nangnang, which emerged around the fall of Gojoseon, are introduced, and the development process of the Samhan (Mahan, Jinhan, Byeonhan) into ancient states can also be explored.
The ceiling of the tomb chamber is painted with a yellow dragon and lotus patterns. Photo by Seo Mideum.
The Goguryeo Room has been enlarged. Mural replicas from tombs are arranged to create a three-dimensional atmosphere as if visitors have entered the actual tombs. The ceiling map depicting the tomb ceilings is unveiled for the first time. A dedicated space is provided for the rubbing (digitally restored copy) of the Gwanggaeto the Great Stele to convey its grandeur. The Goguryeo general’s armor excavated from the Mudeung-ri fortress (defensive facility) in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do, is well preserved in its original form, evoking the battle scenes of the time.
Iron armor excavated from Mudeung-ri Fortress in Yeoncheon. Provided by the National Museum of Korea
For the first time, a visual exhibition space for children has been introduced. Two spaces each in the Prehistoric and Ancient areas are designed to be interactive and tactile.
An interactive space where you can learn about the functions of hand axes in a quiz format. Provided by the National Museum of Korea
Kim Jae-hong, Director of the National Museum of Korea, stated, “In the process of renovating the Prehistoric and Ancient Gallery, we strived to embody the core values pursued by the museum to stand tall as a convergent museum that transcends all and connects eras and values. We hope that visitors, while viewing the Prehistoric and Ancient Gallery, will not perceive history as something distant in the past but will reflect on the fact that the traces of our current lives have also become part of human history.”
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