You Hong June, the newly appointed director-general of the National Museum of Korea, on July 24 holds a news conference on his objectives at the museum in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District three days after his appointment.

By Charles Audouin
Photos = Lee Jeongwoo

The new head of the National Museum of Korea on July 24 said he will resume the exhibition "5,000 Years of Korean Art," which displays domestic art, the ancestor of Hallyu (Korean Wave), around the world.

In his first news conference three days after assuming his position at the museum in Seoul's Yongsan-gu Disrict, Director-general You Hong June said, "We're planning a blockbuster exhibition that shows the strength of K-culture."

Launched in the 1980s by the museum, "5,000 Years of Korean Art" is the first exhibition to globally promote Korean culture and has been held in countries such as the U.S., U.K. and France.

Director-general You called it "a major catalyst for Korean art to gain recognition in the West."

"Because we have to discuss the schedule with partner museums, the final form of the exhibition will be seen two to three years later," he said.

On the exhibition's direction, Director-general You said, "Unlike its past practice of displaying as many artifacts as possible, the exhibition needs to evolve into one that emotionally places people at the core."

He cited as an example the famous Room of Quiet Contemplation, which houses only two pensive bodhisattva statues.

"We're in the process of partially opening our storage spaces so that visitors can see relics that have been kept there for a long time," he added.

The museum houses about 440,000 artifacts.

New National Museum of Korea Director You Hong June on July 24 holds a news conference at the museum in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District three days after assuming his post.

A prolific author, Director-general You said his book on Korean art history for foreign readers is slated for publication in August.

"No matter how well a book on Korean art history for Koreans is written, one intended for a foreign audience must take a completely different approach by considering international perspectives and backgrounds," he added. "I hope my book is translated into foreign languages and read widely."

He also cited the lack of foreign language resources on Korean history, culture and art, saying, "People from abroad will want to come to Korea to study if books on Korean art history are available in foreign languages."

"I've met readers through books and texts on Korean art history, but I now plan to meet the public through the National Museum of Korea's storytelling exhibitions that interact with visitors through artifacts."

As the head of the museum and its 13 provincial affiliates, the director is an art historian renowned for his bestselling humanities book series "My Exploration of Culture Heritage."

A graduate of Seoul National University, he later earned a master's in art history from Hongik University and a doctorate in art philosophy from Sungkyunkwan University. He has published many books on Korean art history and cultural heritage, leading the Cultural Heritage Administration (now the Korea Heritage Service) from 2004-08 and serving as chair professor of art history at Myongji University before his latest appointment.

caudouin@korea.kr