Latest news with #NationalFolkMuseumofKorea
Korea Herald
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Exhibition explores evolution of photography in Korea
An exhibition of some 200 photographs taken in Korea dating back to the late 19th century is running at the National Folk Museum of Korea through July 27. The exhibition 'Say Cheese' explores what photography meant to the photographers and those pictured, according to the state-run museum. The first part of the exhibition, titled 'Changes in Photo Studios,' looks at how photo studios have changed over the years, starting with the introduction of photography by the Japanese in the early 1880s. On display are photos of the Cheonyeondang studio, which opened in 1907. It initially served the royal family and later expanded its services to the general public. The later part of the section explores how photographers and their studios struggled with the disruptive advent of digital cameras, with photos showing the diminishing role of traditional photo studios. 'The Golden Age of the Photo Studio,' the second part of the exhibition, zooms in on the heyday of conventional photo studios from the 1960s to the 1990s. The section features photos of everyday Koreans going to markets, celebrating family events like birthdays and anniversaries, and posing on trips. The exhibition also focuses on the level of artistry photographers sought when developing their photos. Skills like retouching to eliminate scratches and adjusting tone, color, brightness and contrast increasingly mattered as customers looked to sharpen their images, according to the museum. The exhibition comes to an end with a quote from an 80-year-old unnamed photographer: 'This is what I've done all my life. When a customer enters my shop, I can never tell them 'no,' because I'm the only one in this vicinity who does this now.'
Korea Herald
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
National Folk Museum of Korea eyes going global
When it reopens in Sejong City in 2031, state museum will have greater focus on world culture The National Folk Museum of Korea will be the country's premiere institution showcasing world culture when it reopens in Sejong in 2031. The national project to set up a complex of state-run museums in Sejong — a de facto administrative capital two hours from Seoul — will help reshape the identity of the museum that had heavily focused on promoting Korean culture, according to Jang Sang-hoon, the NFMK director general, Tuesday. 'We have time to prepare ourselves to practice what will work,' he said, speaking at a press conference in Seoul. By late 2026, an exhibition hall dedicated to world culture will open at the NFMK located inside Gyeongbokgung. Through this, the museum hopes to gauge public reception of its new vision. 'We have to go global and there's no doubt about the direction. Our museum in Sejong will offer something that you won't be able to see here in the capital,' Jang added. Whether the museum is ready to feature artifacts spanning diverse cultures is a concern being taken seriously, Jang said. The museum has about 14,000 objects on world culture from some 100 countries, according to the museum. 'We need to work on some fronts, like African and South American nations,' a museum official said of the regions where more artifacts are needed. Donations by artists have been of big help, the official added, citing the late documentary photographer Kim Soo-nam. Kim's photos, one of which explores shamanism on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, have led to discussions with Japanese museums about joint exhibitions, according to the official. The push for the museum's global future will be put to the test during a two-day Children's Day event in early May. The free May 4-5 event has been organized with 13 foreign cultural centers in Korea to introduce traditional performances and plays from countries spanning Asia, Europe and Latin America. Meanwhile, the NFMK will begin to publish the English, Chinese and Spanish editions of its Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture online this year. The Korean online version available on Naver logged over 3 million views last year.
Korea Herald
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Yoon ruling prompts palace, museum closures over safety worries
Safety concerns have prompted major palaces, museums and tourist spots near the Constitutional Court in central Seoul to close Friday when a verdict will either oust or reinstate President Yoon Suk Yeol, impeached over his martial law declaration in December. Four of the five Joseon-era (1392-1910) palaces — Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung — and state-run museums such as the National Palace Museum of Korea and National Folk Museum of Korea have announced closures, saying protests anticipated Friday could affect guest safety. Changgyeonggung, the farthest of the four palaces from the court near Anguk Station in Jongno-gu, will close its nighttime tours only, though an official said daytime admission could be affected without prior notice. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and the Seoul Museum of Craft Art will not be open either. Cheong Wa Dae, a former presidential office now open to the public after Yoon moved the presidential office to Yongsan, will also be closed. Police will cordon off streets and roads adjacent to the Constitutional Court. The ruling will be broadcast live from the court at 11 a.m., with 20 randomly selected citizens in attendance. Whether the palaces and museums will remain closed after Friday remains unclear. Officials from the institutions said they would update the public on further changes to admission in a separate notice.
