Abstract

This talk deals with how the National Museum of Korea, as a national repository of material culture and the state’s premier exhibition facility, has shaped and been shaped by Korean nationalism. Exploring the processes by which the museum has discovered and interpreted material culture, using concepts of ethnic nationalism in the historical and political contexts of South Korean society, this talk analyses how this nationalist interpretation has regulated South Koreans’ understanding of their material culture. Issues considered include: cultural and political relations with China; Japanese colonial rule, cultural imperialism and its legacy; the division of Korea since 1945; the Korean war and nation building since liberation in 1945; and domestic political upheavals, including military coups in 1961 and 1979.

Sang-hoon Jang is director of the National Folk Museum of Korea. He completed a PhD at the University of Leicester.

Zoom link: https://bit.ly/47EadtI

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84311321006?pwd=JkDr8EDHRqRiGPseaRIz5qgeb5prao.1

Meeting number: 843 1132 1006 Password 176319