I was born during the Japanese colonial period. When I was in primary school, in 1934, the Japanese forced young students to get oil from pine trees to be used for World War II. I was mobilized to do this work when I was just a first-grader. So when this museum opened, I felt our real history would finally be told and the future more hopeful.

A grandfather visiting the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History remembers the harsh days under the Japanese colonial regime. He is moved to tears as he looks at the displays bearing witness to those days.

- I didn’t know there were so many big changes during the last one hundred years. I’m proud of the fact that I can leave such a greater country to my children.
- I think we live in the best time of our 5,000-year history. I’m really proud of that.
- I was moved by the way our ancestors defended the country in the contemporary era. Historical descriptions in the textbooks were always wanting, but this museum satisfied my need to know more.

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History brings back old memories for some and instills pride in others. The museum opened on December 26, after four long years of preparation by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

In President Lee Myung-bak’s congratulatory address he emphasized how the museum showcases all the ups and downs in the nation’s contemporary history, all the trials and tribulations as well as triumphs and successes. Here’s National Museum of Korean Contemporary History Director Kim Wang-shik to tell us more.

The National Museum of Korea covers Korea’s history from prehistoric times to pre-Japanese occupation, and the National Folk Museum is a specialized museum. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History shows how the Republic of Korea overcame all the difficulties and hardships in the 19th and 20th centuries to become such a successful country in terms of economy and democracy. We wanted to show this proud history to our children and build their confidence and sense of national identity. This museum also aims to encourage communication and unity among all Koreans.

Located to the right of Gwanghwamun, when facing the renovated gate, and opposite of the Central Government Complex, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History occupies the building that used to house important government agencies such as the Economic Planning Board and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. In an eight-story building the museum has four permanent exhibition halls and two special exhibition halls, as well as an archive and storage area, seminar rooms, and lecture rooms.



There are four permanent exhibit halls and two special exhibit halls. Currently Special Exhibition Hall One uses cutting-edge IT technology to show how Korea has changed over the last century, and Special Exhibition Hall Two is designed to allow children to experience Korea’s contemporary history. Permanent Exhibition Hall One is titled “The Prelude to the Republic of Korea,” showcasing how the Republic of Korea came to be, and Exhibition Hall Two is about the foundation of the Republic of Korea. Exhibition Hall Three is about the nation’s growth and economic development, and Exhibition Hall Four is about modernization and Korea’s vision of future.

The first thing a visitor sees on the exhibit floor is a moving wall.

Here’s Mr. Kim Shi-duk from the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History’s Exhibit Operations Division.

There are 72 monitors placed on the media wall to play video footages of Korea’s past. Each pillar is named with one of the six keywords, such as passion, communication, and commitment, which define Korea’s modern history. The footages show Korea’s beautiful sceneries and heritages.

The monitors play footages of the jubilant Liberation Day, pro-democracy protests, Korea coming together for the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, and cutting-edge IT industry, among others. Just looking at the display screens makes you feel proud of Korea’s resilience and look forward to the country’s future. Museum Director Kim Wang-shik talks about Exhibition Hall One, describing the founding of the Republic of Korea.



The beginning of the Republic of Korea, covering from 1870 to 1945, is the theme of Exhibition Hall One. The main feature of the exhibition is how Korea dreamed of becoming a modern country after opening its ports to western ships, but how the country was thwarted from achieving that dream by foreign aggression. It also shows how Koreans fought for the country’s independence in spite of cruel and violent oppression, and the events leading up to the establishment of the provisional government of the Republic of Korea and the country’s liberation in 1945. But the country is divided into two soon after the liberation.

Exhibition Hall One begins with the signing of the Ganghwa Treaty in 1876.

The Ganghwa Treaty opened the Kingdom of Joseon to foreign influences from the United States, Russia, and the Great Britain in the form of modern inventions such as telephone, electricity, and railways. Around that time Japan started began meddling in Joseon’s internal affairs, culminating in the Korea-Japan Treaty of 1905, which wrested away Joseon’s diplomatic authority, and the dethronement of King Gojong in 1907 and dismantlement of the Joseon army. That was the start of Japan’s 36-year colonial occupation of Korea. Here’s Mr. Kim Shi-duk of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History to explain more.



From here on, the exhibits deal with the provisional government of Korea and independence movement. The tunnel is designed narrow and dark to symbolize the country’s dark times and the pillars express the historical obstacles placed before Korea. Among the displays is a stone tablet with an instruction for all Koreans to be loyal to the Japanese emperor and a resident registry with Korean names converted to Japanese ones.

The exhibit is not all about the hopeless days of colonial rule. The museum also shows the history of independence movement, the displayed relics including a national flag used during a protest, King Gojong’s hand-written letter telling the world about Japan’s atrocities, copies of Korean language textbooks taught in secret, and a letter from freedom fighter Ahn Jung-geun. These exhibits are a manifestation of Korean people’s burning wish for independence.

Exhibition Hall One ends in 1945, the year Korea finally gained independence. The next hall features displays about the first government of the Republic of Korea, including a 12-meter-long holographic screen depicts the birth of a new government. Here’s Mr. Kim Shi-duk from the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History to tell us more.



The period between 1945 and 1960, from the establishment of the Republic of Korea and the Korean War to the industrialization following the war, is showcased in Exhibition Hall Two. The Republic of Korea was the product of the Cold War, a conflict between the right and the left, raging at the time. Even the commemorative ceremony for the March 1st Civic Uprising was held separately by the left wing party and the right wing camp at different locations.

The confrontation between the two opposing forces, the left wing and the right wing, led to the eruption of the Korean War on June 25, 1950 to tear the nation apart. The story of the SS Meredith Victory carrying some 14 thousand refugees to safety renders visitors teary-eyed.

On the fifth floor is Exhibition Hall Three, delineating the country’s phenomenal economic growth following the Korean War. There are several firsts on display, such as Korea’s first taxi cab, first automobile export, the Pony, first radio and television, and first expressway, the Seoul-Busan highway. Here’s Museum Director Kim Wang-shik for more.



This exhibition hall features the period from 1961 to 1987, when both industrialization and democratization took place. The displays show how economic development plans were carried out and how they were funded by the sweat-soaked money from Korean miners and nurses sent over to Germany, construction workers who toiled away in the Middle Eastern heat, and young soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War.

Their sacrifice built the economically strong Korea we know today. Along with industrialization came people’s fervent call for democracy. Photos and video footages vividly describe the democratic reform process, starting with anti-dictatorship protests in Busan and Masan in October 1979, the Gwangju civic uprising in 1980, the June 29 Declaration which allowed direct presidential election, and the tributes to people who died during the protests.

Exhibition Hall Four describes the time between the Seoul Summer Olympics in 1988 and the 2000s, defined by the Korean pop culture wave and Korea’s stunning growth in the IT sector. Unlike other exhibition halls, which are more or less somber, this last permanent exhibition hall is well-lit and airy, reflecting the hopeful atmosphere of a nation emerging as one of the global superpowers. Here’s Museum Director Kim Wang-shik to explain.

The theme of this exhibition hall is globalization and Korea’s ascension to the ranks of advanced nations. A Korea going global is defined by hallyu, the wave of Korean pop culture sweeping the globe, and its growing role in the international community. For instance, Korea used to receive international aids, but now it sends volunteers and assistance to less developed nations. The exhibits also show how cutting-edge technology developments helped propel Korea to another level and change people’s lives.

Korea is known as one of the most dynamic and impassioned countries. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History provides historical proof of the country’s relentlessly energetic spirit. The 65-year-long history of contemporary Korea featured in the Museum bridges the young and the old, and makes us contemporary Koreans prouder of the achievements made by our ancestors and ourselves to shape the country into an upstanding member of the international community.