National Museum of Korea
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 국립중앙박물관 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Gunglib Jung-ang Bagmulgwan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kunglip Chung'ang Pagmulgwan |
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 Location within Seoul
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| Established | 1945 (Reopening of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, 2005) |
| Location | 137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea |
| Coordinates | 37°31′24″N 126°58′47″E / 37.52334°N 126.9797°E |
| Type | History and Art museum |
| Collection size | over 310,000 pieces 295,551 square metres (3.18 million square feet) |
| Visitors | 3.1 million (2013) Ranking 14th globally |
The National Museum of Korea is the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea and is the cultural organization that represents Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has been committed to various studies and research activities in the fields of archaeology, history, and art, continuously developing a variety of exhibitions and education programs.
In 2012, it was reported that since its relocation to Yongsan District in 2005, the Museum has attracted an attendance of 20 million visitors, or over 3 million annually which makes it one of the most visited art museums in the world as well as third most visited in Asia and the most visited in South Korea. A poll of nearly 2,000 foreign visitors, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in November 2011, stated that visiting the Museum is one of their favorite activities in Seoul. It is one of the largest museums in Asia.
Emperor Sunjong established Korea's first museum, the Imperial Household Museum, in 1909. The collections of the Imperial Household Museum at Changgyeonggung and the Japanese Government General Museum administered during Japanese rule of Korea became the nucleus of the National Museum's collection, which was established when South Korea gained independence in 1945.
During the Korean War, the 20,000 of the museum's pieces were safely moved to Busan to avoid destruction. When the museum returned to Seoul after the war, it was housed at both Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung Palace. In 1972, the museum moved again to a new building on the grounds of the Gyeonbokgung Palace. The museum was moved again in 1986 to the Jungangcheong, the former Japanese General Government Building, where it was housed (with some controversy and criticism) until the building's demolition in 1995. In December 1996, the museum was opened to the public in temporary accommodation in the renovated Social Education Hall, before officially reopening in its grand new building in Yongsan Family Park on October 28, 2005.
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