National Palace Museum of Korea
The National Palace Museum of Korea is a national museum located in Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea.
History
The museum first began as the "Korean Imperial Museum", which was established in September 1908 and was originally located in Changgyeonggung. On November of the following year, the museum was opened to the public. However, in April 1938, the ruling Japanese government renamed the museum to the "Museum of Yi dynasty".In March 1946, after the liberation of Korea, it was renamed "Deoksugung Museum". In 1991, Cultural Heritage Administration instituted the museum in Seokjojeon of Deoksugung Palace, and in 2005, the museum was relocated to a modern building inside Gyeongbokgung.
Collection
National Palace Museum of Korea houses over 40,000 artifacts and royal treasures, from the palaces of the Joseon period and the Korean Empire, of which 14 are National Treasures of South Korea. It displays records, state rites, architecture, clothing, royal life, education, culture, paintings and music of the dynasty's ruling era. It also has among its collection the royal seal of King Gojong of Joseon, which was used for his personal letters to Russian czar and Italian emperor after 1903. It disappeared during Japanese rule and was re-covered from a US-based Korean collector in 2009.In March 2021, in conjunction with the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, the National Palace Museum opened an installation at the arrivals hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon Airport. The installation features eight pieces of media art including one transparent LED display, three media walls and four kinetic artworks. The artworks display traditional Korean themes and cultural elements.
Permanent exhibitions
- Royal Symbols and Records
- State Rites
- Joseon Science
- Palace Architecture
- Royal Life
- Royal Childbirth and Education
- Royal Scholarly Culture
- Korean Empire
- Royal Court Paintings
- Royal Court Music
- Royal Palanquins
- Joseon Water Clock