The envisioned National Museum of KoreanContemporary History, whose construction begins this week, will trace South Korea's past 60 years that started in post-colonial chaos but eventually achieved democracy and a thriving economy, its preparation committee said Tuesday.
The museum, which will be built on the site of the former Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism building and the adjacent U.S. embassy, is scheduled to open in 2013. It is part of a state project to transform the landmark Gwanghwamun area into an iconic landscape that offers a comprehensive view of Korean history and culture.
"The development of the Republic of Korea, both in the history of mankind and the 5,000-year history of Koreans, has a unique characteristic to it.
The significance of the contemporary history museum is that it will document the nation's unique history and highlight the path it has taken," said Kim Jin-hyun, chairman of the Committee for the Establishment of the National
Museum of Korean Contemporary History, an arm of the prime minister's office.
The ministry building will be remodeled into a permanent exhibition hall, while the U.S. embassy site will be refurbished for contemporary exhibitions and cultural performances. The second-stage construction at the embassy site
may be delayed if its relocation is postponed from its original deadline of 2012, Kim said.
The culture ministry and the U.S. embassy were built as matchbox-shaped twin buildings in 1961, designed and constructed by U.S. firms.
The ministry site was used as an administrative building during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), but the Japanese colonial government transformed it first into a land survey facility, then as a police training school. The building was destroyed during the 1950-53 Korean War.
The building was rebuilt with U.S. assistance, along with the U.S. Operations Mission, which later became the U.S. embassy.
The embassy is set to relocate to the Yongsan area in central Seoul, and the culture ministry has recently moved to a new office in the Daehangno theatre district in the northern part of the capital.
About 400 people, ranging from independence fighters and their families, democracy activists, Korean War veterans and miners to nurses who were sent to Germany in past decades and Olympic gold medalists, are expected to attend the ground-breaking ceremony on Thursday. The remodeling and construction project is expected to cost 48.4 billion won (US$42.5 million).
Despite the nation's proud achievements, Korea's contemporary history following the colonial occupation is a highly sensitive and divisive issue.
Public opinion remains sharply divided over North Korea, the U.S. role on Korean issues, and the legacy of former authoritarian rulers. Critics are concerned the museum may turn into a promotional facility for the government.
"President Park Chung-hee ruled in dictatorship, but under his government, Korea became industrialized and climbed up to a certain stage.
And this ultimately created the basis for democracy and freedom to grow," Kim said. "I'd like to see the history of the Republic of Korea from the perspective of such continuity."