Feature
Renewal of the Korean Empire Gallery
By Im So-yeon
The National Palace Museum, an affiliated organization under the Cultural Heritage Administration, has undertaken a refurbishment of the Korean Empire Gallery in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of the declaration of the Korean Empire (1897–1910). The renewed gallery was opened to the public on February 28 of this year. A permanent exhibition hall dedicated to the Korean Empire was initially installed at the museum in 2007 as a showcase for the history and culture of the first imperial—and first modern—state in Korean history. It remains the only such space in the country.
Renovated Display Space for the Korean Empire
In 1897, Gojong, the 26th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, proclaimed the Korean
Empire. After designating the seat of the new empire as Gyeongungung Palace
(currently known as Deoksugung Palace), Emperor Gojong pushed ahead with a
diverse range of reforms and modernizations geared toward the establishment of a
more powerful and prosperous modern state. He reorganized governance systems
for the administrative, military, and financial sectors, and renovated urban areas.
Modern infrastructure such as electricity, streetcars, and railways were introduced, and
public parks were installed. The imperial palace of Gyeongungung was refurbished
with Western buildings standing alongside traditional Korean structures, adding to
the dignity of the imperial court and materializing the fervent aspirations toward
modernization.
The renewed exhibition hall showcases some 270 exhibits designed to help visitors
better appreciate the establishment of the Korean Empire and the regal authority of
the imperial court, as well as a representation of the interior of Gyeongungung, the
birthplace of the empire and a witness to both its glories and its painful decline.
A representation of a banquet hall
On Display
In the second section, the modern aspects of the imperial palace of Gyeongungung are delivered through representations of its interior. Alongside the name plaque of the palace inscribed with Chinese characters reading “Gyeongungung” is Gyeongungung junggeon dogam uigwe (The Protocols of the Office of the Reconstruction of Gyeongungung, Treasure 1901-3), a record on the rebuilding of the palace after a fire in 1904. The modernization process for Korean palaces can also be observed through such exhibits as a map marking the location of the water pipes laid out at Changdeokgung Palace, one of the Joseon royal residences, and glass lampshades that were installed over the lights in the ceilings of palace buildings.
The third segment of the exhibition enables visitors to enjoy a lively experience of the imperial family’s lifestyle, which broadly incorporated many modern Western elements. On display are furnishings, utensils, and accessories used by the imperial family, as well as Western costumes such as a ceremonial robe for Yeongchinwang, Gojong’s seventh son and the last crown prince of the Korean Empire, and a reproduction of the imperial banquet hall. One of the additions to the exhibition after the remodeling is a formal outfit for literary officials that has been lavishly adorned with gold-colored roses of Sharon, one of the symbolic motifs of the Korean Empire. The literary officials’ uniform, which encourages visitors to envision vivid images of an official event of the era, has been reproduced as a costume for officials of the first rank based on records from the 1900 imperial edict Rules on the Costumes for Literary Officials.
Refurbished Display Facilities
In particular, the first floor of the museum building where the Korean Empire room is housed has the lowest ceilings in the museum. The lights in the room have a history of flickering and undermining the visitor experience. To compensate for the low ceiling and to eliminate the flickering while ensuring safe artifact management, a new display case system has been introduced in the Korean Empire gallery. The front pane of the display cabinet is rendered in the maximum possible size using low-reflective glass. A state-of-the-art lighting system based on organic light emitting diodes (OLED) was selected for their minimal heat production, lack of ultraviolet light, and adjustable
A childhood ceremonial suit for Yeongchinwang, the last crown prince of the Korean Empire
brightness according to the needs of the artifacts. These efforts at furthering both artifact conservation and visitor satisfaction have made a significant contribution to improving the appreciation of the importance of the exhibited objects.
The interior of the renewed Korean Empire Gallery
Associated Programs
In the newly opened Korean Empire gallery, interpretation services are regularly
provided six times per day in Korean and twice each in English, Japanese, and Chinese.
The museum offers diverse educational programs on the Korean Empire, including the
Dreams of the Emperor of Korea for families with elementary-school age children that
is operated in association with the field education program at Deoksugung Palace.
Programs for all adults (May–June) and for teachers (August) will be introduced this
year. An academic symposium on the significance of the Korean Empire artifacts as
material evidence of the era’s modernization efforts and historical importance will be
scheduled for October.
Although lasting for only 13 years until the Japanese annexation of Korea in
1910, the Korean Empire has a significant place in Korean history as the first imperial
and modern state. It is also notable that the death of Emperor Gojong in 1919
sparked a popular cry for independence that developed into the nationwide March
1 Independence Movement. It is true that the period of the Korean Empire has been
adversely perceived in association with the subsequent Japanese colonial era (1910–
1945), but hopefully, people can take advantage of the opportunity of the empire’s
120th anniversary this year to pay a visit to the refurbished Korean Empire gallery and
discover the cultural and historical value of the first Korean imperial state.
Visitors in the renovated Korean Empire Gallery