National Hangeul Museum Closed Until 2028 Due to Fire...Exhibitions and Education to Continue

Fire at National Hangeul Museum in February
Closed for Construction Until 2028
Exhibitions and Educational Programs to Continue at Partner Institutions

The National Hangeul Museum, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will remain closed until the second half of 2028 for restoration work following fire damage that occurred during the “creation of educational spaces and office expansion construction” in February. However, during the construction period, the museum plans to maintain its exhibition and educational functions by utilizing spaces provided by related organizations, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Exterior view of the National Hangeul Museum. National Hangeul Museum

On September 9, the National Hangeul Museum announced its construction plan, reflecting the results of a detailed safety inspection conducted earlier. The museum will begin the design phase in October this year, start construction in July next year, and aims to reopen in October 2028.

The detailed safety inspection conducted after the fire concluded that structural reinforcement, such as the replacement of steel beams in parts of the third-floor Hangeul Playground, is necessary. Other areas require surface treatment of steel beams and slab undersides. To ensure the reliability of the diagnosis, the museum formed an advisory committee with experts recommended by the Korea Infrastructure Safety and Technology Corporation and the Association of Construction Engineers.

The restoration work will integrate structural reinforcement of the Hangeul Playground, restoration of the third-floor fire-damaged area, building exterior repairs, and the existing expansion construction (first-floor educational space and fourth-floor office). The total project cost is 17.5 billion KRW, with 4 billion KRW allocated in the 2026 budget.

Museum Functions Maintained...Exhibitions and Education Operated Using Related Institutions’ Facilities

During the closure, collection management, exhibitions, and educational activities will continue. Approximately 90,000 items in the collection are being safely managed at the National Museum of Korea, the National Folk Museum of Korea, and the National Museum of World Writing Systems. Collection and registration work is also proceeding as usual. Newly acquired materials are being released through the online archive “Newly Acquired Hangeul Heritage,” and a new section, “Archive Walk of the Month,” has been launched to introduce key materials by theme.

In 2025, the museum will hold seven regional traveling exhibitions and two planned exhibitions as scheduled. In November this year, the exhibition “Letter Sense: Writing and Tools” will be held at Culture Station Seoul 284 RTO. In 2026, three special exhibitions will take place to commemorate the 580th anniversary of the proclamation of Hunminjeongeum, the 100th anniversary of Hangeul Day, and the 100th anniversary of Hunmaengjeongeum.

Educational programs will be offered both online and in-person. Online classes will be provided from the studio at Culture Station Seoul 284. Classes for foreigners and elementary school students will be held at “Byeotdeuljae” in the National Folk Museum of Korea, and educational programs for people with disabilities will be conducted at “Modu Art Space” of the Korea Disability Arts and Culture Center.

The popular Hangeul Playground will be completed in Sejong City in October 2025, and from 2026, it will be expanded by one new location each year in different regions. The character “Mallangtongtong,” developed this year, will be introduced for the first time at the Sejong Center.

Research and publication activities will also continue actively. Six Hangeul-related books, including “100 Hangeul Cultural Knowledge” and the English edition of “Easy Hangeul,” are scheduled for publication. On November 2, the “Traveling Dialect Story Concert” will be held at Suncheon Youth Center.

For Hangeul Day, on October 9, events such as leaflet distribution, quiz solving, and souvenir giveaways will take place at the plaza in front of the Mirror Pond at the National Museum of Korea. On October 14, the “3rd International Museum Forum” will be held at the International Conference Hall of the Korea Press Center, and for one month, award-winning works from the photo, video, and handwritten letter contest will be exhibited at the Ichon Station Nadil-gil.

Director Kang stated, “We sincerely apologize to the public for the unavoidable long-term closure due to the restoration work after the fire damage. During the closure, we will do our utmost to ensure that exhibition, research, and educational functions are not neglected, and we will make every effort to manage the construction so that it proceeds without any setbacks.”