[Report] From Toothpicks and Adhesives to a World-Class Conservation Science Center in Half a Century

Conservation Science Center Opens at National Museum of Korea on the 28th
50 Years Since the Launch of the Conservation Science Office in 1976
Early Days: Toothpicks and Adhesives for Restoration
Now: Scientific Approaches with State-of-the-Art Equipment Like CT Scanners
Staff Shortage Remains: 16 Currently, 28 Needed for Full Operation

Behind the National Museum of Korea, the Conservation Science Center has opened, featuring one basement floor, three above-ground floors, and a total floor area of 9,196 square meters. This marks the culmination of 50 years of conservation science at the National Museum of Korea, which began in 1976 as a small office equipped with only worn desks and a handful of tools.

In the early days, restoration took place under difficult conditions, such as removing foreign substances from broken earthenware shards or fractured gilt-bronze Buddha statues with toothpicks and applying adhesives. Today, however, the center has evolved into a world-class scientific restoration system, scientifically analyzing materials, production techniques, and current conditions to determine the most appropriate conservation methods.

Exterior of the Conservation Science Center. Provided by the National Museum of Korea

The first floor of the Conservation Science Center has been designed as an exhibition space where visitors can observe the conservation science process firsthand. In the “Conservation Scientist’s Room,” which recreates the old conservation laboratory, visitors can sense the passion and dedication of the late Lee Sangsoo, an early researcher. During a time when even the term “conservation science” was unfamiliar, his efforts to pioneer a new academic field using only toothpicks, microscopes, and adhesives inspire a sense of reverence.

The early conservation science laboratory displayed in the exhibition hall on the first floor of the Conservation Science Center. Photo by Seo Mideum

The Conservation Science Center is comprised of several specialized facilities: a smart remote diagnosis room that enables remote assessment of artifacts and real-time expert support; a 3D shape analysis room for three-dimensional analysis of artifacts; a conservation treatment room for material-specific, customized restoration; a non-destructive testing room equipped with devices such as computed tomography (CT) scanners; an analysis room with electron microscopes for precision analysis; and an environment room dedicated to researching and managing the museum environment.

In particular, the CT equipment, which allows examination of the interior of artifacts without causing damage, is among the best in the world. Using non-destructive methods, the center conducts precise analyses of various artifacts, such as wooden seated Buddha statues, revealing historical contexts and production techniques in detail.

It is possible to identify the contents without destroying the artifact by using CT (Computed Tomography) scanning. Photo by Seomideum.

With the opening of the new center, the area of the painting and calligraphy conservation room has doubled to 200 square meters, and the maximum size of paintings that can be restored has increased from 2.5 meters to up to 10 meters. However, the traditional practice of working seated on the floor with shoes removed has been maintained. A representative from the Conservation Science Center explained, “We adhere to the floor-seated method because it allows for a wider reach than standing, making it more efficient for working on large Buddhist paintings.”

While advances in science and technology have improved the restoration environment, restoration remains a matter of dedication and time. Restoring a dust-covered painting alone can take several years, and the process of reattaching detached fibers after removing foreign substances requires extreme concentration and delicacy. In a demonstration of removing barnacles from ceramics, the painstaking process of spraying distilled water with a compressed sprayer and removing each barnacle one by one keeps viewers on edge.

In the painting and calligraphy room within the Conservation Science Center, science has brought much convenience to artifact restoration, but still, the results can only be achieved through repeated work requiring long and dedicated effort. Photo by Seomideum.

The Conservation Science Center currently has a staff of 16, with plans to increase to 18 next year. However, those on site say that at least 28 staff members are needed to operate the expanded facility effectively.

Yoo Hongjun, Director of the National Museum of Korea, emphasized, “There are 440,000 artifacts in the museum’s storage, and no matter how diligently we work, it would be impossible to inspect them all within my term. Of the 440,000 artifacts, about 80,000 require conservation treatment, which would take at least 80 years. Additional personnel support is urgently needed.”