Now Showing at the National Museum
© Susan Johnson-Roehr
The National Museum is located just south of Seoul, near the Seoul Grand Park complex. This museum--established with the founding of the modern state of South Korea--is a spot for contemplating Korea's past, present and future through carefully chosen art exhibits. The museum has several permanent galleries. The Buddhist Gallery displays statues of Sakyamuni, (a real person in history), various Buddha and Bodhisattva described in the Buddhist scriptures such as Four Deva Kings, Eight Divine Generals, and guardian deities who protect Buddhism, as well as the Buddha's disciples and renowned monks with all other Buddhism-related statues. The Metal Work Gallery contains work going back to the Silla period. Much Buddhist art can be found here, too, along with many general works. The Historical Materials Gallery focuses on war records, ancient documentations, maps, ancient printing materials, tombstones, Joseon Emissaries related materials, ancient coins and currencies, seals, various certificate and identification plates. Other galleries include the Iuchi's Donation Tile & Brick Gallery, the Dongwon Memorial Gallery, the Sujeong Memorial Gallery, and the Art Gallery, a room for displaying permanent collections. True museum fans will probably attend the museum's special exhibits. Right now (May 2 through June 4), museum patrons can get a close look at the museum's new acquisitions at the exhibit "A Pleasant Encounter with Recently Acquired Collections." This exhibit highlights some of the great pieces the museum has recently acquired in preparation for the opening of a new museum building (scheduled for 2003). Another special exhibition is the "3000 Years of Rice Farming Culture: Rice with the Nation" show. A very ambitious show, the artifacts date as far back as the Neolithic Period and as recently as the 1980s. Of course, many of us cannot travel to Seoul every time we want to see an exhibit. This is sad news, but the good news is that the National Museum has an excellent web page available in both Korean and English. It is beautifully designed, well maintained, and has a lot of information about the various exhibits.
Opening Hours
Opening Hours
- March through October: 09:00~18:00 (Admittance by 17:00)
- November through February: 09:00~17:00 (Admittance by 16:00)
- Adults(25 and above): 700 Won
- Students(7 to 24): 300 Won
- Children(6 and under):Free
- January 1st, Mondays
- Subway: 5 minute walk from Gyeongbokgung station on Line No.3
- Bus : 5 to 10 minute walk from the bus stop in Gwanghwamun.
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