National Folk Museum to Establish 'World Folklore Hall'... Preparing for the 'Sejong Era'

Beyond Korean Culture:
A "Window Open to the World"

The National Folk Museum of Korea will establish the 'World Folklore Hall' in the second half of next year, introducing the folk customs and traditions of countries around the world. On the 8th, Director Jang Sang-hoon held a 'News Brunch with the Director of the National Folk Museum (Eoulcham)' event and announced the main policy directions including this plan. The museum aims to move beyond Korean culture to become a 'window open to the world.'

On the 5th, Children's Day, visitors and children who visited the National Folk Museum in Jongno-gu, Seoul, are watching the Dongchun Circus performance. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The World Folklore Hall will be created by reorganizing the permanent Exhibition Hall 1, 'Today of Koreans,' which currently showcases K-culture. It will be designed as a space highlighting the lives and cultures of people worldwide, including domestic and international immigrant diasporas. The museum stated, "We plan to utilize over 15,800 pieces of lifestyle cultural materials collected from various countries," and explained, "It will be a thematic exhibition hall that explores the universality and particularity of human culture."

In addition to the World Folklore Hall, the National Folk Museum of Korea will open separate venues to help deepen understanding of diverse cultures. Especially next month, in celebration of Children's Day, from the 4th for two days, the museum will create a space to experience various games from around the world in collaboration with thirteen organizations including foreign cultural centers and embassies in Korea. Furthermore, instead of the previously created 'Multicultural Packages' mainly focused on Asian countries such as Mongolia and Vietnam, the museum plans to develop a 'World Culture Box' and engage in exchanges with overseas museums based on folklore and anthropology.

The National Folk Museum of Korea is also accelerating preparations to leave Gyeongbokgung Palace and welcome the 'Sejong Era.' The basic design was completed this year, and by 2030, a building with a total floor area of 23,473㎡ will be constructed in Zone 2 of the National Museum Complex. The scheduled opening is in 2031. An official stated, "With the vision of being a 'window open to the world,' it will establish itself as a 'space for intercultural understanding' where diverse cultures of many countries are understood and empathized with."