Since taking office as the Director of the National Museum of Korea (NMK) in February 2011,
I’ve had the pleasure of observing the people who visit the NMK throughout the day.
Watching the wide range of visitors varying from family, friends, couples, students, and
kindergarten children led by their teachers, I have felt renewed pride in the genuine
enthusiasm people have to learn and understand more about the culture and artwork
of Korea. Thanks to such enthusiasm, the National Museum of Korea was the 9th most
visited museum in the world in 2010, according to Art Newspaper.

The National Museum of Korea is a place where you can explore the essence of Korean
arts and culture. The museum combines Korean history, life, and arts, from hand axes
of the Paleolithic period, to celadons of the Goryeo Dynasty, to paintings of the Joseon
Dynasty, to modern photography. The NMK is working hard to make your museum
experience more pleasant and enjoyable, by planning a number of exciting upcoming
exhibitions, providing docents to give tours in six different languages, and entertaining
and educating kids in our Children’s Museum. We have many educational programs
specifically designed to suit different groups so that information about our numerous
relics and works of art is more accessible to everyone. You can also attend fabulous
world-class performances and concerts at our Yong Theater, or simply enjoy the
afternoon in the tree-filled park which is adjacent to the museum.

At the National Museum of Korea, the past and the future come together. Previously,
exhibitions at the NMK featured only Korean arts, but we have expanded our focus
in both our permanent collection and our newly expanded collections from Asian
countries. Recent special exhibitions have highlighted treasures of Egyptian art,
masterpieces from the Louvre, decorative arts from the Victoria and Albert Museum,
and murals and manuscripts from the Silk Road and Dunhuang, so that now our
visitors can see the arts and experience the cultures of other countries without
having to go abroad. The NMK will continue to promote Korean culture at the global
level through exchanges with museums worldwide and participation in world events
and exhibitions. As Director, I promise that the National Museum of Korea will
strive to meet the high standards of our visitors by providing fascinating exhibitions
and a wonderful museum experience for everyone.

Thank you.