
Exhibition focuses on early Joseon art
For the next three months, an exhibition at the National Museum of Korea will look at how the first 200 years of Joseon (1392-1910) formed what is quintessentially Korean identity today through exceptional artworks.
The exhibition 'Art of Early Joseon: Masterpieces from the 15th and 16th Century' illustrates the initiative and vibrancy the Joseon people projected as they fostered what would become Korea, according to Kim Jae-hong, the NMK director general, during a preview tour Monday.
'Joseon's early years were pivotal to Korean history because the social fabric as well as physical borders of Korea were established by then,' Kim added, saying artworks on display would help people recognize the continuity of society over centuries.
A total of 691 ceramics, calligraphy and Buddhist paintings are on view, 40 of which are on loan from 24 institutions in the US, UK, Germany, France and Japan.
Of the 40 items, 23 are being shown in Korea for the first time, an NMK official said, adding that 79 items on display are state-designated National Treasures and Treasures.
Some 300 ceramics, which account for almost half of the entire objects featured, testify to Korea's shifting focus on white porcelain from the celadon of the preceding Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392).
Buncheong, a type of stoneware that bridged the transition in the 15th century, uses a greater range of decorative techniques than Goryeo celadon, and is more colorful than white porcelain, the museum said. White porcelain replaced buncheong in the following centuries.
Calligraphy and paintings by Joseon officials, who doubled as scholars promoting Confucian values and teachings, shed light on Joseon aesthetics, chiefly expressed in ink wash paintings that stress various tonal effects employing just black ink and water.
'Through ink-wash landscape paintings rendered in deep tones of black ink with masterful shading, the scholar officials of Joseon depicted the ideal world envisioned by the newly established Confucian ideology,' the museum said.
Buddhist objects, from paintings to statues, add context to the exhibition dedicated to the deeply Confucian state.
The Wooden Seated Buddha at Jogyesa, the main temple of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, shows the influence Buddhism still held over the people even after the state adopted Confucianism as its ruling ideology, a museum official said.
Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon, a book annotating Hangeul, the Korean writing system created by King Sejong the Great in 1443, which will be on display until July 7.
The exhibition comes 20 years after the museum's reopening in Seoul's Yongsan-gu. It runs through August, and admission fees are waived from Tuesday to Sunday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
![[김대균의 영어산책] 5형식 수동태 표현 & 자주 출제되는 고난도 표현 정리](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F07%2F23%2Fnews-p.v1.20250723.1ea532c0d3a14923af001ccb92a69b8c_T1.png&w=3840&q=100)
![[김대균의 영어산책] 5형식 수동태 표현 & 자주 출제되는 고난도 표현 정리](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75)
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
[김대균의 영어산책] 5형식 수동태 표현 & 자주 출제되는 고난도 표현 정리
이번 회에서는 토익 문법의 핵심 중 하나인 5형식 수동태 표현과 함께, 자주 출제되는 고난도 단어와 표현들을 정리한다! 1. 5형식 수동태 표현 – 목적격 보어가 유지된다! They named me TOEIC King. → I was named TOEIC King by them. ✅ 문법 포인트: → 5형식: 동사 + 목적어 + 보어 → 수동태 전환 시 보어는 그대로 유지! 자주 쓰이는 5형식 동사 10선과 수동태 예문: call → They called me a genius. → I was called a genius. elect → They elected her class president. → She was elected class president. appoint → They appointed Mr. Kim as manager. → Mr. Kim was appointed manager. choose → They chose him team leader. → He was chosen team leader. make → They made her the spokesperson. → She was made the spokesperson. select → They selected John as the representative. → John was selected as the representative. designate → They designated Sarah the group leader. → Sarah was designated the group leader. consider → They considered him a strong candidate. → He was considered a strong candidate. declare → They declared the event a success. → The event was declared a success. crown → They crowned her the winner. → She was crowned the winner. 시험에서 자주 출제되는 문법 구조! 수동태 뒤에 명사가 나올 수 있는 문장구문에 주의하자! 2. densely / sparsely populated – 인구 밀도 표현 ✅ Densely Populated (인구 밀집 지역) Seoul is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. → 서울은 세계에서 가장 인구 밀도가 높은 도시 중 하나입니다. The area is densely populated, causing traffic issues. → 이 지역은 인구 밀도가 높아서 교통 문제가 발생합니다. ✅ Sparsely Populated (인구 희박 지역) The island is sparsely populated — perfect for a quiet retreat. → 그 섬은 인구가 드물어서 조용한 휴식처로 안성맞춤입니다. 관련 표현: • densely packed → 시장은 사람들로 가득 찼다. • sparsely attended → 그 행사는 참석 인원이 적었다. 3. company의 다양한 의미와 해석 – 문맥 파악 필수! ✅ 예문 정리: • I like your company. → 너와 함께 있는 것이 좋아. (동행, 교제) • He runs a software company. → 그는 소프트웨어 회사를 운영한다. (기업) • We had some company over for dinner. → 우리는 저녁에 손님을 맞았다. (방문객) • Children should be in the company of adults. → 아이들은 어른과 함께 있어야 한다. (보호적 동행) • May I accompany you on your walk? → 산책에 동행해도 될까요? (동사형) 'company'는 문맥에 따라 뜻이 달라지는 대표적 다의어입니다. 4. petrol prices = higher fuel costs – 유의어 정리 Petrol prices have increased this month. → 이번 달 휘발유 가격이 올랐습니다. Airlines are raising ticket prices due to higher fuel costs. → 연료비 상승으로 인해 항공권 가격이 인상되고 있습니다.


Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Back from Japan, dragon-headed roof tiles and eaves offer glimpse of Joseon royal shrine
Carefully kept in good condition, with even dancheong colors preserved, 4,982 parts of Gwanwoldang reflect its noble status, aesthetics From a distance, the beam appears no different from an ordinary piece of timber. But stepping closer, its surface reveals cracks and dents that reflect its age, along with faint inscriptions looking like the Japanese characters "ho" or "ma," indicating it was likely marked or labeled during its time in Japan. These are parts of the disassembled pieces of Gwanwoldang, thought to be a royal shrine from the Joseon era (1392-1910), which were taken to Japan during the country's colonial rule of Korea in the early 20th century. Officials believe the writings were added by Japanese carpenters when the structure was dismantled in Japan. It was the first time the structure's components had been unveiled since its return to South Korea in May at the Korea Foundation for the Traditional Architecture and Technology — an institution dedicated to collecting and conserving traditional building frame materials — in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. The parts came back under an agreement reached with Kotoku-in, a Buddhist temple in the neighboring country's Kamakura city, and the Korea Heritage Service and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation. The long-lost royal shrine is a traditional wooden structure spanning three bays in width. Its architectural style features symbolic patterns, including dragons, spider webs and bats — all of which are characteristics of royal shrines from the late 18th to early 19th-century Joseon period. Research suggests that Gwanwoldang's size and structure indicate it was a royal shrine built for a "Daegun," which is a title given to the son of the king and queen, Lee Kyu-cheol, Associate Research Fellow at the Architecture and Urban Research Institute, told reporters as he toured the press. A total of 4,982 parts — 1,124 pieces of timber, 3,457 "giwa," or traditional Korean roof tiles and 401 stone elements — were revealed during the public display of Gwanwoldang's components at the institution's storage. They include decorative eave supports known as "choyeop," which are wooden elements placed on the sides of large traditional buildings, especially palaces, and roof tiles featuring symbolic motifs ike dragons, a symbol of royalty in Korean culture, spiders and butterflies, highlighting the architectural details that reflect the shine's royal status and aesthetics. Each piece was carefully wrapped to keep it in good condition. The roof tiles, which are often prone to fragility, were cushioned in bubble wrap to protect them from breaking, while "dancheong," the traditional coloring on wooden buildings and artifacts, was protected with plastic and paper to shield the surface and paintwork from scratches, moisture, and abrasion. The storage facility tries to maintain humidity below 80 percent to protect the wooden materials. The KHS and the OKCHF said they would conduct detailed studies on Gwanwoldang's components, as well as explore ways to display the pieces to the public. The KHS also pledged to continue working on bringing Korean artifacts home. "Over 247,000 Korean cultural assets are held overseas. Among them, many were illegally taken, especially during times of war or during the country's colonial rule. Our agency is committed to bringing back those items to Korea," Huh Min, the newly-appointed chief of the KHS, told reporters during the event.


Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Korea Herald
Learn traditional iron-making at NRICH's summer camp
Some 40 participants will get a chance to learn about Korea's traditional iron-making through hands-on experiences, lessons The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and the Korea Cultural Heritage Association are jointly recruiting participants for a special iron-making camp to be held next month. Applications for the three-day camp, slated for Aug. 20-22 at the Jungwon National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, will be open from Monday through July 31. The camp is open to anyone interested in iron-making, regardless of nationality. While the program will be conducted in Korean, NRICH will provide English-language versions of the presentations to help non-Korean speakers better understand the content, an official at the institution told The Korea Herald. The program is free of charge. A total of 40 participants will be selected, and the final list will be announced on Aug. 4 via NRICH's official website. The iron-making camp is an educational program where participants can learn about Korea's traditional iron-making through hands-on experiences, while also exploring discoveries from archaeological excavations and experimental research in the field. The two institutions have jointly hosted the program every year since August 2021. Day two will feature a deep dive into iron-making sites from the Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392), an exploration of traditional pig iron production techniques and a visit to Korea's first Iron Museum in Eumseong. On the final day, participants will attend a lesson on how ancient iron-making techniques are being revived today.