[Opinion] Chosun Culture Awakens from Sleep of 600 Years

` Tradition is getting recreated everlastingly`.

It is the result of exploring Sozou Hangzou, ancient city of Chinese culture.

The scene that all of destroyed cultural property in period of cultural revolution is being restored is attracting people`s interest with regard to reinforcement of Chinese international phase.

In spite of recreating, history was explaining the far origin and creating cultural goods relevant to its cultural property, therefore it is becoming tour resource with natural scene.

China is making scenic beauty district under the policy to not only preserve aforestation but also expand it steadily.

Beautiful nature is harmonized with cultural property which is put there like jewel and it is providing resting place and beautiful scenes.

Therefore, I feel deplorable seeing our situation.

Half century has passed already since independence, however, cultural properties that were destroyed intensively were vestiges related to the Royal House like palace.

Japan called Chosun dynasty as Lee dynasty to make an image of dynasty of Lee only, which had nothing to do with people so that it estranged Royal House from people.

It destroyed palace of Chosun and built up police stations or schools.

There must be much utility space at that time, however, they destroyed only cultural assets, and it was really subtle artifice.

Japan destroyed Kyoungbok palace and made Japanese Government General, which was headquarter for colonial policy and collapsed rural palaces.

Palace in Siheung disappeared without any trace, and palace in Suwon is under restoration.

There were close arguments for and against preserving central station that had building of Japanese government general, however, government destroyed it and is recovering numerous royal palaces of Kyoungbok.

Kyoung-hee palace that was called as Western palace also suffered a lot.

The reason why Kyoung-hee palace was called as Western palace was due to its direction such as Changduk palace and Chang-gyoung palace were called Eastern palace and Kyoungbok palace as Northern palace.

Most of the parts of Kyoung-hee palace collapsed, when Japan built up Kyoungsung middle school for Japanese students and the border was also reduced to half.

After Seoul high school which inherited the building shifted, some parts like Sangjeong palace and Jajeong palace were restored and it will open following inauguration of Seoul history museum.

Seoul history museum that was built on the ground of the palace is facing its historical inauguration after 10 years of preparation.

Necessity of SHM that shows intensively 600 years of history of Seoul, capital of current Korea as well as capital of Baekje and Chosun era is needless to say.

It will execute important role in developing 21st century Korea as cultural nation.

Now interest on Chosun era is increasing and Seoul was capital of Chosun, therefore, SHM is born with important task to show the aspect of Chosun era especially.

It should be new museum that sloughs off conventional style of current museums which starts from archaeological relics of prehistoric age and is consistent art history exhibition of historic age.

Currently, collected assets surpassed 20,000 items and 9,804 items which is nearly half of them are donated assets, therefore, we can say that it is museum that citizens made.

It is built up as an open place without wall so that anybody can approach easily and it plans to have free exhibition frequently, so it might be worthy of Seoul citizen`s expectations.

It has planned special exhibition for inauguration such as `Chosun women, their life and culture` and `Seoul 2002, its vision and practice`, besides permanent exhibition.

It shows image in three dimensions breaking from existing means of displaying that arranges assets in showcase in plane and has computerized system for searching information.

I hope that it leads as an up-to-date museum through three-dimensional method of display.

It would become not only new history museum but also comfortable shelter for Seoul citizens.

If Kyounghee palace is restored completely, I hope that government makes it a living palace where predecessors`s life melted, utilizing the space not for managing empty palace only but for utilizing it as museum.

I hope that it stands as cultural museum with pride that shows masterpieces of Chosun culture from now on, as the one which has carried out distinguished service to Chosun history of culture.