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The Seoul Museum of Craft Art in the city’s Jongno-gu District opens on July 16. (Seoul Museum of Craft Art)

 

By Lee Jihae

The Seoul Museum of Craft Art, founded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, opens on July 16.

Located at the former site of Poongmoon Girls’ High School in the Anguk-dong neighborhood of Jongno-gu District, this is the country’s only public museum exclusively for Korean handicrafts from the past and present.

The museum is located within walking distance of Bukchon Hanok Village, Insadong and Gyeongbokgung Palace.

The site is where Prince Youngeung (1434-67), son of King Sejong the Great (1397-1450), built his home and where Sejong died. It is also where King Gojong (1852-1919) built the royal villa Andong Byeolgung for the coronation of his son and successor Sunjong (1874-1926).

After the high school was relocated in 2017 to the Jagok-dong neighborhood of Gangnam-gu District, the five buildings at the old campus were renovated. The information center and a Hanok building within the complex are newly built, so the museum now has seven buildings in a complex 10,826 sq. m wide with an overall floor space of 10,590 sq. m.

Online reservations are required to visit the museum.

The permanent exhibitions feature the history of handicrafts, textile art and a children’s museum. The special exhibitions for the museum’s opening include contemporary crafts, earrings and Seoul’s intangible cultural assets.

The operating hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Monday and admission is free.

Online reservations can be made on the museum’s website: https://craftmuseum.seoul.go.kr (Korean).

jihlee08@korea.kr