369 Artifacts Including the War Diary and Long Sword Revealed
Over 4,200 Daily Visitors Across 96 Days
Record Attendance for a Domestic Cultural Heritage Exhibition...
Third Highest in National Museum of Korea Exhibition History
The special exhibition "Our Yi Sun-sin" at the National Museum of Korea has surpassed 400,000 visitors, setting a new record for visitor turnout at domestic cultural heritage exhibitions.
President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung are viewing Admiral Yi Sun-sin's long sword at the special exhibition "Our Yi Sun-sin" held on the 26th at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
On March 4, the National Museum of Korea announced that the cumulative number of visitors to the special exhibition "Our Yi Sun-sin," which opened on November 28 last year and closed on March 3, reached 407,045. The exhibition ran for 96 days, attracting more than 4,200 visitors per day on average.
This is the highest number of visitors for a special exhibition on Korean cultural heritage held at the National Museum of Korea. Among all special exhibitions at the National Museum of Korea, it ranks third in history, following the "Louvre Museum Exhibition" from France (over 520,000 visitors) and the "Egyptian Civilization Exhibition" (440,000 visitors).
The exhibition was organized to commemorate the 480th anniversary of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's birth and the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. Rather than focusing solely on his heroic image as a "sacred hero," it highlighted the anguish and life of Yi Sun-sin as a human being.
The exhibition featured 258 artifacts, totaling 369 pieces, including the handwritten original of Yi Sun-sin's "Nanjung Ilgi" (War Diary), the long sword inscribed with his oath, the "Imjin Jangcho" (war records), and various letters. The gathering of National Treasures and Treasures, which are rarely seen together, attracted significant attention from visitors.
Yoo Hongjun, Director of the National Museum of Korea, is taking a commemorative photo with the winning visitors of the event celebrating 300,000 attendees of the special exhibition "Our Yi Sunshin" held on the 19th at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
In particular, many praised the immersive exhibition that combined excerpts from Yi Sun-sin's diary with video and audio installations throughout the venue, creating a sense of connection that transcended generations and nationalities.
During the exhibition period, key figures such as Prime Minister Kim Minseok, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwiyoung, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, as well as 87 members of diplomatic missions from 68 countries, visited the exhibition. On February 26, President Lee Jaemyung and First Lady Kim Hyekyung also visited the exhibition hall.
Hongjun Yoo, Director of the National Museum of Korea, said, "The public has shown tremendous support for this exhibition, which highlighted Yi Sun-sin as the greatest hero in our history and as a human being. This demonstrates that the profound narratives and emotions contained in our cultural heritage possess global competitiveness."
The museum plans to continue the "Our" series of exhibitions this year. In July, it will present the special exhibition "Our Table," which explores the origins and evolution of Korean food culture. Before that, in June, a special exhibition introducing Thai culture and art is scheduled to be held.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
