Gary Mintier poses in front of Seokbulsa Temple in Busan.

By Yoon Seungjin

Photos = Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation

An American couple who worked nearly 50 years ago in Korea as Peace Corps volunteers has donated over 1,500 pieces of memorabilia collected from their stay in the country from the late 1960s to mid-1970s.

The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation on July 31 said it received a combined 1,516 items including modern and contemporary paintings, Confucian classics and photos collected and documented by Gary and Mary Ann Mintier.

From 1969-75, the Mintiers were Peace Corps volunteers in Korea who taught English in Seoul and Busan. During their six-year stay, they grew fascinated with the beauty of traditional Korean culture and collected modern and contemporary calligraphy, paintings and historical records while snapping vivid shots of 1970s Busan.

The foundation said in a news release that it "became aware of the Mintiers' ownership of Korean cultural heritage properties several years ago through a source outside of Korea," adding, "After the foundation established a relationship of trust with the Mintiers, in 2022, the couple expressed their decision to donate their meticulously-preserved collection to Korea instead of selling it to a third party."

The couple donated 105 calligraphic works and classic books spanning 150 items to the National Library of Korea in Seoul. A prominent example of their gift is a painting of plum flowers and bamboo by Song Sumyeon (1847-1916), a painter of the late Joseon Dynasty, and the woodblocks for Collected Commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals by Lee Yu-jang (1625-1701), a scholar of the mid-Joseon era. 

In April next year on Library Day, the library will display select items from the donation after disinfecting and categorizing all of the items.

The Mintiers also gave 1,366 photographs to Busan Museum, and select shots will be displayed in the exhibition "Busan in 1970: A Special Perspective of Everyday Life" from Aug. 4 through Sept. 3. The pictures include those of Busan Tower, which was demolished in 1981 in the port city's Seomyeon district to make way for the construction of Busan Metro Line 1, and a mountain village in the city's Bosu-dong neighborhood in 1970.

The foundation said, "We hope these donated items are used as important foundational materials in research on the country's regions and our modern history." 

These are photographs and other memorabilia donated by the Mintier couple.