By Lee Tae-hoon, Ryu Chang-gi
The Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) Friday opened the Dokdo Museum Seoul, the first of its kind in the capital, with the aim of providing accurate information on the country’s easternmost islets.
Yasunari Ishidome, a TV Asahi correspondent, said the new museum will help not only Koreans but also Japanese people better understand the thorny debate over Dokdo.
“No teachers in Japan know about Takeshima (Dokdo), I think,” he said.
“This museum is dedicated to improving mutual understanding about the issue and building a future-oriented relationship between Korea and Japan.”
Students of Changdeok Girls’ Middle School in Seoul were surprised to see the state-of-the-art technology employed in the museum enabling them to learn about Dokdo’s history through computer generated images.
“It is amazing,” a student said.
The Dokdo Museum Seoul is comprised of four sections – “History and Future Zone,” “Nature Zone,” “4D Theater” and “Feature Exhibition.”
The History and Future section introduces Dokdo’s history over the past 1,500 years through chronological charts and video clips.
The Nature section features a 1/120th replica of Dokdo.
The 4D Theater provides a virtual experience, including a submarine ride to navigate through the currents that move around Dokdo and learn about the natural habitats off the east coast of Korea.
The Feature Exhibition displays four drawings by artist Lee Jong-sang, who has been dedicated to the “Dokdo Culture Fostering Campaign” for nearly four decades.
“Visitors can experience Dokdo as if they were there, and they will understand its history.” Chung Jae-jeong, the president of the NAHF, said.
Officials of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology said the new museum will serve as a textbook for elementary and secondary students.
“The history foundation launched the Dokdo museum to deliver accurate information about Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo,” a senior official said.
Kim Jang-hoon, who has been carrying out awareness campaigns about Dokdo, expressed his wish that many foreigners will visit the museum.
“I hope not only Korean nationals, but also many Japanese journalists, scholars and tourists will visit the Dokdo museum,” he said.
A 50-year-old businessman, identified by his family name Hong, said the museum will help future generations have a good understanding about the rocky islets without having to go there.
“Personally, I visited Dokdo in April, which helped me better understand that the Dokdo islets belong to Korea,” he said. “I’m sure this museum will serve as a valuable education tool for future generations,”
It opens Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. through 6 p.m. Admission is free.
The museum is located in the basement floor of the Imgwang Building in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.