Museums in South Korea geared up for a bumper year

Earthenware funerary objects excavated from Geumnyeongchong Tomb in Gyeongju, the capital of Silla kingdom. Photo: NMK

Following the explosive popularity of two exhibitions at the National Museum of Korea – A Collector’s Invitation showcasing the late Samsung Chair Lee Kun-hee’s art collection, and Six Centuries Of Beauty In The Habsburg Empire – which attracted thousands to the museum daily, national museums in Seoul have more exhibitions of historical artefacts from both home and abroad in store this year.

In late May, the National Museum of Korea will present a special exhibition of earthenware and clay figures from the Three Kingdoms era. Many clay objects depicting a person riding a horse or a boat, as well as oil lamps, survive from that period.