National Palace Museum of Korea

National Palace Museum of Korea 국립고궁박물관
Hangul	국립고궁박물관
Hanja	國立故宮博物館
RR	Guknip Gogung bakmulgwan
MR	Kuknip Kokung pakmulkwan
Established	September, 1908
Location	Sajikno 34 (Sejongno), Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Director	Soh Jae-gu
Website	http://www.gogung.go.kr/

National Palace Museum of Korea is a national museum of South Korea located in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul.

History

The museum first began as the "Korean Imperial Museum", which was established on September, 1908 and was originally located in Changgyeonggung Palace. On November of the following year, the museum was opened to the public. However, on April, 1938, during the Japanese occupation, the Japanese government downgraded the museum's title to the "Museum of Yi dynasty".^[1]

In March, 1946, after the liberation of Korea, it was renamed "Deoksugung Museum". In 1991, Cultural Heritage Administration instituted the museum in Seokjojeon (석조전, Stone Hall) of Deoksugung Palace, and in 2005, the museum was relocated to a modern building inside Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Collection

National Palace Museum of Korea houses over 40,000 artifacts and royal treasures, from the palaces of the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire, of which 14 are National Treasures of South Korea.^[2] It displays records, state rites, architecture, clothing, royal life, education, culture, paintings and music of the dynasty’s ruling era.^[3]

See also

• List of museums in Seoul
• Gyeongbok Palace

References

1. ^ "history of the museum" (in Korean). National Palace Museum of Korea website. http://www.gogung.go.kr/introduce/history.jsp. Retrieved 2008-04-24. 
2. ^ "history of the museum" (in English). National Palace Museum of Korea website. http://www.gogung.go.kr/eng/aboutMuseum/history.jsp. Retrieved 2008-04-24. 
3. ^ CNN Go Seoul's best museums 27 October 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-04

External links

• National Palace Museum of Korea Official Site
• (Korean) Brief information about National Palace Museum of Korea