Gyeongju City Launches Construction of 'King Munmu Marine History Museum' Honoring Silla's Unification of the Three Kingdoms

Completion of 2-Story Building in 2023 ... Plans to Operate Munmu Daewang Hall, Silla Maritime Silk Road Hall, and Training Programs

Bird's-eye view of the Munmu the Great Marine History Museum.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] The construction project of the 'Munmu the Great Maritime History Museum,' commemorating King Munmu who achieved the unification of the Three Kingdoms, will begin this May.

Gyeongju City announced on the 3rd that construction of the Munmu the Great Maritime History Museum will commence in May on the site of the closed Daebon Elementary School at 617 Daebon-ri, Gampo-eup.

With the final design completed at the end of last year, five years after the basic concept plan was presented in December 2015, the Munmu the Great Maritime History Museum, initiated as part of the Munmu the Great Tomb sanctification project, is now on track.

The museum will be built on a 9,102㎡ site with a project cost of 12.1 billion KRW, consisting of two floors, and is scheduled for completion in December 2023.

The total floor area is 1,748㎡. The first floor will house the Munmu the Great Youth Academy, Marine School, experience center, caf?, and offices. The second floor will include the Munmu the Great Hall and the Silla Maritime Silk Road Hall.

Once completed, Gyeongju City plans to operate various programs linked to the maritime cultural heritage of Silla’s East Sea area, Munmu the Great Tomb, Igyeondae, and the Gamsungsa Temple site.

Gyeongju City expects the Dong Gyeongju area, which had been neglected compared to the inland tourism centered around Bomun Tourist Complex, to be revitalized through the construction of the Munmu the Great Maritime History Museum. In particular, the administrative name change process to rename Yangbuk-myeon, the location of Munmu the Great Tomb, to Munmu the Great-myeon is underway, which is expected to fulfill the long-cherished goal of the tomb sanctification project.

Mayor Joo Nak-young of Gyeongju explained, "The agenda of the first-ever Gyeongju Citizens’ Roundtable Meeting held in 2019 was 'Plans to Revitalize Munmu the Great Tomb Tourist Site,' and during the roundtable discussion attended by over 170 people, many expressed the need for a history experience center and promotional hall, showing the high level of citizens’ interest in King Munmu."

He added, "Through the construction of this history museum, we hope to promote the achievements and history of King Munmu, who accomplished the unification of the Three Kingdoms, and for him to be recognized as the King Munmu of Korea. Furthermore, it is expected to play a significant role in the development of Gyeongju’s East Coast."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.