Korea's long-awaited first national museum dedicated exclusively to the country's turbulent contemporary history will open its doors on Dec. 26 despite lingering debate over the ideological partiality of its exhibits, the government said Thursday.
The 45 billion won ($41.3 million) National Museum of Korean Contemporary History is the culmination of a project begun four years ago by President Lee Myung-bak to turn the former culture ministry building in Seoul's central Gwanghwamun area into a history museum.
The new museum covers the period from the year 1876, when the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) opened its doors to the outer world, to present day, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Visitors can view about 1,500 items that can give a glimpse of Korea's history of development in the political, social, economic and cultural fields, the ministry said.
There are six exhibition rooms, storage facilities, a seminar room, a lecture room, a cafe and a shop in the eight-story museum building constructed through the remodeling of the former ministry building.
The museum has been a subject of intense controversy for years over several issues, including the timing of the opening and content.
The opening was initially scheduled for 2014, but the government repeatedly changed it to February 2013, to December 2012 and then to Nov. 22 this year, before delaying it another month. As the museum's permanent exhibition highlights Korea's proud history of rapid growth from ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War to the world's 15th largest economy, the move triggered speculation that the conservative government led by President Lee Myung-bak intentionally expedited the opening hoping to influence this year's presidential election.
Park Geun-hye, a daughter of former President Park Chung-hee who ruled the country for 18 years until his assassination in 1979, is a strong presidential candidate in the Dec. 19 election.
Before the formal opening, the museum will be opened to the public for free on Dec. 21-25, the ministry said. (Yonhap)