Ethnic Culture Breakwater 'Bukchon' History at a Glance... Seoul City Opens Bukchon Hanok History Museum

Opening of 'Bukchon Hanok History Hall' on July 1 to commemorate Bukchon history and Jeong Se-gwon, a pioneer in farming... Part of historical regeneration
Reexamining Bukchon history and Jeong Se-gwon, who preserved national culture such as our homes and language during the Japanese colonial period

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] To commemorate Samiljeol, Seoul City announced on the 28th that it will open the Bukchon Hanok History Museum, which highlights Bukchon?a bastion of national culture that preserved Korea’s traditional housing styles during the Japanese colonial period?and Mr. Ginong Jeong Se-gwon, who played a significant role in spreading modern urban-style hanok and preserving the Korean language and script.

Since 2018, the city has held commemorative exhibitions and forums focusing on Ginong Jeong Se-gwon and Bukchon Hanok Village, and this year plans to inform citizens about Bukchon’s historical significance through a permanent exhibition at the Bukchon Hanok History Museum.

The city noted that Jeong Se-gwon’s activities during the Japanese colonial period can be seen as a form of ‘urban regeneration’ from a nationalistic perspective. His efforts to divide large hanoks into multiple small urban-style hanoks contributed not only to forming a new city in line with changing times but also provided a foundation for Koreans to continue living in Seoul without having to leave.

Furthermore, Jeong Se-gwon used the funds earned from the hanok distribution project to support organizations such as the Joseon Products Promotion Association and the Korean Language Society. Through these activities, he endured hardships and played a major role in protecting Korean homes and the Korean language and script. He consistently supported efforts to preserve national culture by constructing and donating the Joseon Products Promotion Association building and the Korean Language Society building.

Starting from the 1st of next month, the permanent exhibition titled "Bukchon, the Bastion of National Culture" will be held at the Bukchon Hanok History Museum. It consists of three sections: "Bukchon, the Bastion of National Culture," "Traditional Hanok and Urban-style Hanok," and "Ginong Jeong Se-gwon."

"Bukchon, the Bastion of National Culture" sheds light on the history of Joseon houses that gradually expanded their territory in response to Japanese cultural rule after the March 1st Movement, and how the villages formed by Koreans through these houses became strongholds for preserving daily life and maintaining and developing national culture.

"Traditional Hanok and Urban-style Hanok" features a video comparing the structure and materials of traditional hanoks, which were noblemen’s houses during the Joseon Dynasty, and urban-style hanoks created by subdividing these traditional houses. The modern urban-style hanok is characterized by the ‘Jungdang-style (中堂式) hanok,’ which places a building in the center instead of the traditional courtyard, and by practical features such as using galvanized iron sheets on the eaves.

"Ginong Jeong Se-gwon" reexamines the life and independence movement contributions of Mr. Ginong Jeong Se-gwon, who created hanok residential districts through the distribution of urban-style hanoks. It also explores his support for the Korean Language Society’s compilation of the "Joseon Dictionary" in the mid-1930s, when the Japanese colonial government began suppressing the Korean language and script under the policy of Naeseon Ilche (Japan-Korea unity), and the hardships he endured fighting for the independence of the Korean language and script.

The Bukchon Hanok History Museum will open to the public on the 1st of next month while strictly adhering to quarantine guidelines. To prevent COVID-19, no separate opening ceremony will be held; instead, the museum opening video, commentary by Seo Hae-seong, Seoul City’s Director of Historical Regeneration, and interviews with local residents will be released on the Seoul City Urban Regeneration Office’s YouTube channel.

The Bukchon Hanok History Museum plans to operate regular, special, and non-face-to-face programs for citizens. Regular programs include docent-led tours of the permanent exhibition, while special non-permanent programs will feature historical talk concerts and Bukchon tour programs.

Seo Hae-seong, the Director of Historical Regeneration for Seoul City and the chief planner of the Bukchon Hanok History Museum, said, “The Bukchon Hanok History Museum was established to inform citizens that the current appearance of Bukchon was formed through conscious activities during the Japanese colonial period and that Mr. Jeong Se-gwon laid the foundation for it. We hope that this will provide an opportunity to reconsider the history of Bukchon and Mr. Jeong Se-gwon in commemoration of Samiljeol.”

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