He Carefully Examines Admiral Yi Sun-sin's Long Sword and Inscription
First Lady Kim Shows Interest in the Korean-script Biography "The Life of Admiral Yi Sun-sin"
Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Yujeong stated that President Lee Jaemyung and First Lady Kim Hye-gyeong visited the National Museum of Korea on the 26th, where they viewed major exhibitions including the special exhibition "Our Yi Sun-sin" and spent time communicating with citizens visiting the museum.
The National Museum of Korea has established itself as a cultural space that spans generations through creative exhibition planning such as the "Room of Quiet Contemplation" and cultural products (Muze) that reinterpret unique cultural assets in a modern way. In particular, last year it recorded 6.5 million visitors annually, in line with the global spread of K-content.
This exhibition, which opened on November 28 last year, is the National Museum of Korea's first special exhibition on Yi Sun-sin. Focusing on the records left by Yi Sun-sin, the museum provided a three-dimensional look at his true character beyond that of a war hero. A total of 369 items in 258 categories are on display, including 15 National Treasures such as his autograph manuscripts of "Nanjung Ilgi" (War Diary of Admiral Yi Sun-sin), "Imjin Jangcho" (draft reports on the Imjin War), and "Seogancheop" (letter book), as well as 43 Treasures including Cheonjachongtong and Jijachongtong cannons.
In particular, seven autograph volumes of the War Diary of Admiral Yi Sun-sin are on display, allowing visitors to see not only his heroic side shown in a series of naval battles from the Battle of Hansando to the Battle of Myeongnyang and the Battle of Noryang, but also his human side. Visitors can also glimpse the war from the perspective of Japan, the invading country. For the first time in Korea, artifacts kept by Japanese daimyo are being made public, including the helmet and spear of the Tachibana Muneshige family and the folding screen "Battle of Ulsan Japanese Castle" owned by the Nabeshima Naoshige family.
When the presidential couple made an unannounced visit to the National Museum of Korea, citizens and students who were touring the museum waved their hands, cheered, and welcomed them. President Lee asked, "What grade are you in?", "Where are you from?", and said "Nice to meet you," as he patted children on the head and exchanged handshakes and high-fives. In particular, when responding to children's requests for selfies, he bent his knees to lower himself to their eye level. One young visitor who took a photo with President Lee said, "My friends are going to go crazy. I think they'll ask if it's artificial intelligence (AI)," expressing excitement.
After warmly greeting the visitors, the presidential couple viewed the special exhibition "Our Yi Sun-sin" while listening to explanations from a curator at the National Museum of Korea. President Lee toured the exhibition asking in detail whether the exhibits were originals or replicas, how they were preserved, and who had worn the armor, and he especially took a long look at Yi Sun-sin's long sword, which is 2 meters (m) in length, and the inscription engraved on it. First Lady Kim showed particular interest in a handwritten Korean manuscript of "The Life of Admiral Yi Sun-sin," a biography of Yi Sun-sin believed to have been written for women in the late Joseon Dynasty, and asked, "Is this the Korean script version?"
After finishing the exhibition tour, the presidential couple responded to the selfie requests of citizens who had lined up and exchanged greetings. When First Lady Kim gladly agreed to foreign tourists from the United States asking to take photos, the tourists said "Thank you!" in Korean and shouted, "You are so pretty." DL
Afterward, the presidential couple visited the museum shop to look around various museum Muze products. President Lee, who was amused by products that offered a modern reinterpretation of the statue of a pensive bodhisattva, one of Korea's representative cultural heritages, by adding poses such as thumbs-up, cheek-heart, and hand-heart, mimicked the pose of the pink cheek-heart pensive bodhisattva and made a cheek-heart himself, eliciting big laughs from onlookers. First Lady Kim Hye-gyeong purchased eyeglass pouches decorated with Korean folk paintings such as tiger-and-magpie paintings.
Spokesperson Kang explained the significance of the visit by saying, "The presidential couple's visit to the National Museum of Korea was an effort to reaffirm the spiritual foundation of the Republic of Korea as a cultural powerhouse and to communicate with citizens."
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