▲ Photo by Park Yoo-miThe new National Museum of Korea opened on Oct. 28 in Seoul? Yongsan district. The museum is expected to become an important building in symbolizing the new image of Seoul.

   Since its establishment in 1945, the National Museum of Korea has moved six times. Finally, on October 28, it opened its own building in Yongsan. It is significant that it reopened during the year in which we commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
   Besides its historical significance, the new museum is grand in many aspects. The current structure was built over the past eight years.?t houses a collection of about 150,000 relics, and displays about 11,000 artifacts. The museum? seven-story main building is 404 meters long and 186 meters wide, made in the shape of a Korean walled fortress. Its indoor exhibition space, divided into 51 halls, is the world? sixth largest.
The west wing of the building contains offices, a library, a children? museum and an auditorium, and the east wing is reserved for halls for permanent exhibitions. The large open space in the middle, is modeled after the vestibules in Korean traditional houses, which are roofed but have no walls.
   As you walk through the main entrance, on the right you can see the information desk where Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and audio players can be rented, for 3,000 won and 1,000 won, respectively. These devices provide information about whatever artifacts the user is standing in front of. The PDAs also help guide visitors around the halls, and suggest 12 tour courses, such as the 100 must-see artifacts for visitors in a hurry and four different courses for families with children.
   The museum is divided into six galleries: archeology, history, Korean Art I, Korean Art II, Asian Art and donor galleries. The history, Asian and donor galleries will feature pieces that the museum has never shown before.
   Adding to its rich collections and architectural magnificence, are a 870-seat theater, a children? museum and library, arts and crafts shops, and restaurants, making it a place to enjoy a variety of activities and programs that offer education, fun and entertainment. This is the first time a theater has been housed in the museum. Thirteen different performances will be held here by the end of the year to commemorate the opening of the museum.
   Visit this important symbol of Korean history!?he museum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday to Friday, and until 7:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays. It is closed on Mondays. Admission is free until the end of this year. The museum can be reached by walking 150 meters towards Yongsan Family Park from exit 2 at Ichon Station on subway lines No. 4 and No. 1. Visitors can also use the green bus No. 0211 or the red bus No. 950.

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