National Folk Museum of Korea to bolster int'l collection ahead of relocation to Sejong

Jang Sang-hoon, the newly appointed director of the National Folk Museum of Korea (NFMK), speaks during a press conference, Wednesday, at the museum in central Seoul, where he announced the institution's future agenda as well as its exhibition lineup for the rest of the year. Courtesy of NFMK

The National Folk Museum of Korea (NFMK), dedicated to preserving artifacts that offer a glimpse into the everyday lives and folklore of Korea’s past, stands at an important crossroads, with plans to reopen in 2031 at a new location within the national museum complex in Sejong City.

In line with this relocation, the state-run institution aims to expand its collection to include a wider array of international cultural relics, thus fostering two-way dialogue between the folk items of Korea and those from around the world, according to Jang Sang-hoon, its newly appointed director.

“Up until now, the museum has been largely devoted to collecting and researching artifacts within the country,” he said at a press conference in central Seoul, Wednesday. "However, that doesn’t mean we have completely set aside our interest in their global counterparts."

Over the last two decades, it has amassed nearly 5,800 articles representing the world’s living cultural heritage, predominantly from Asia: traditional wedding adornments, performance-related objects, shamanistic materials, African crafts and archival items gathered from ethnic Korean communities in Japan, Germany and Central Asia.

“If the NFMK has focused primarily on showcasing Korea’s identity through its heritage items for all these years, we aim to take a step further with our bolstered international collection to create a space where visitors can appreciate and compare cultures from around the world — from lifecycle rituals to seasonal customs,” he said.

Jang, a veteran in the field with prior roles at the National Museum of Korea and the Jinju National Museum in South Gyeongsang Province, went on to announce the folk museum’s plans for the second half of 2024.

Among the scheduled exhibitions are shows dedicated to “kkokdu," or traditional wooden figures hung on biers at funerals, and coffee, a drink introduced to Korea 140 years ago.

The museum’s partnership with overseas institutions will continue through a special touring exhibition. “Korean Knots,” which puts the spotlight on the craft of “maedeup” (ornamental knots), is set to travel to the Korean Cultural Centre Australia and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in the Philippines.

In line with its 20-year project of publishing the 70-volume Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture, the NFMK is set to release a new volume on the cultural symbols and icons of “hallyu,” or the Korean wave, in December.