Taean County Unveils Rare Documents on Overcoming Oil Spill Damage for the First Time

Rare Private Collections Exhibition Opens at Oil Spill Recovery Memorial Hall from the 25th
Photos and Videos from Three Private Collectors and the Korea Central Volunteer Center on Display

Exterior view of the Chungnam Taean Oil Spill Damage Recovery Memorial Hall. / Taean-gun

Records documenting the overcoming of the Taean oil spill, which have been inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, along with rare materials such as previously unreleased photographs and videos from private collectors, will be unveiled in Taean, Chungnam starting from the 25th.

The Taean County Office announced on the 24th that it will hold the “Exhibition of Rare Private Collections on Overcoming the Oil Spill” at the Oil Spill Recovery Memorial Hall near Mallipo Beach from the 25th until June 29th, for about three months.

This event, held as part of the 2025 special exhibition on overcoming the oil spill, commemorates the 2022 inscription of the “Records of Overcoming the Taean Oil Spill” in the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register.

Thanks to the cooperation of three private collectors and the Korea Central Volunteer Center, visitors can view 60 privately owned photographs, three privately owned records (such as signboards and documents), three videos, and ten photos of the now-clean Taean sea.

The county plans to carefully select engaging and educational content, such as the “Miracle of Taean Sticker Book” event for visitors, so that guests can vividly experience the scene of overcoming the disaster.

The Oil Spill Recovery Memorial Hall is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is closed every Monday. If Monday is a public holiday or substitute holiday, it will be closed the following day. Admission is free.

A county official stated, “This exhibition of rare private collections is significant as it is the first time these materials, previously unreleased, are being presented to the public. We hope for great interest from the public in this photo exhibition, which offers a glimpse into the process of overcoming disaster and the noble sacrifices of 1.23 million volunteers.”

Meanwhile, the Taean Oil Spill Recovery Records comprise 222,129 documents detailing the massive oil spill that occurred in Taean in 2007 and the subsequent recovery process. In November 2022, these records were inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, along with Samguk Yusa and Naebang Gasa.

Currently, a total of 19 institutions and individuals, including the Taean County Office, Taean County Medical Center, and Chungnam Province, possess these records.