The National Folk Museum of Korea(NFM), which focused particularly on the all those related to folk's way of life during 'Joseon Dynasty' (1392-1910), has been a famous place where foreign visitors have felt Korean traditional folk's culture, freely at anytime.
It's located in the Gyeongbokgung Palace(景福宮), devoting to the study, collection, and preservation of folk artifacts, with lots of advanced programs for social education of folk culture through various exhibitions and classes.
Especially the fact that appx 70% of total visitors for NFM has been from foreign countries just decided us to have an interview with Shin Kwang Seop, the Director General/Ph.D, so as to sketch NFM's porfolio in the future.
Q1) When it comes to saying about total numbers of visitor, we think that NFM has ranked No 1 among all museums in Korea.
What's the backgound of your attracting visitors ?
A1) Aside from our location's advantage, we think NFM is a miniature of Korean traditional way of life-based culture, offering opportunities especially for foreign visitors to understand about Korean ordinary people's culture most rapidly.
Q2) Could you tell us any new project or vision ?
A2) Firstly we focus on cultural education system for children by the effective education system-based intensification of function of Children's Museum.
Because education-based our role is a holy mission for all children.
And secondly is that we plan to increase new exhibition-halls for coming two years, which finally would present various optional choices for visitors.
For we know well, the more exhibits are, the more we have visitors
Lastly regarding on our new vision, we will combine 'the world history interpretation-based concept' with original function of folk museum altogether, being simultaneously exodused from the exsisting fixed idea on folk museum.
In other words, our new vision is closely connected with the concept 'Total History', by which we can interpret our historical & cultural inheritance again, being inclusive of all those from folk's culture in the past, and constructing global network of exchange of history & culture.
Q3) What about the plan of international exhibition ?
A3) This year we will finish two 'special display' programs in America.
And in 2008, we will set up 'Korea Division' in Yanbien Museum, located in the Northern main land China, for which the bilateral already concluded M.O.U and agreement of culture.
In the meantime, we will cultivate all display projects, whether or not it's permanent, through Korean culture institutes in many different countries.
We think this would be the best way to create the global culture brand of ours.
And one more, considering that Korea and Vietnam, the both has exchanges of frequent and active economical activities.
So in order to comply with current situation between two countries, we plan to interchange culture and history each other with Vietnam as soon as possible.
Q4) We heard about a valuable news ! It's that Japan Ethnology Museum can offer Korean language guided tour from this October with assistance of NFM and one Korean travel company, named 'Sejoong Tour Group'
Could you tell us its story ?
A4) The Chairman of Sejoong Tour Group, Mr.Cheon, sponsored this project.
He has been called as 'the Culture CEO' among all Korean citizens because of his aspiration toward cultural work.
So with his assistance, we could successfully offer Korean language-guided program for Japan Ethnology Museum.
Besides, he helped us to construct 'Korean version-based web' in Museum of Duimet of Paris/France, whose service will be available sooner.
Q5) Can you tell us your philosophy of management way ?
A5) If I imply about it, I'd like to express that my philosophy of management is to come true the real 'Cultural Democracy', where we can enjoy freely cultural value, as a man of culture, at anytime we want.
But as for this value & freedom-based cultural democracy, I think it should be on the basis of museum visitor's curiosity as well as interest.
So I have studied of how we can raise their awareness efficiently toward us, pointing out to my staffes that 'Let's not be too uptight about our display's method'
Basically to say " In order to make visitor be 'Do-it-yourself-fan' of cultural missionary~"
취재/국제부 이명근 기자
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