[Interview] “Reviving ‘Dongyang Cheoksik Company’ with Rakibium, We Will Create a Museum That Attracts People”

Kim Kiyong, the First Director of Busan Modern History Museum's Dream
1929 Dongyang Cheoksik Company → 'Complex Cultural Salon'

"Museums must beckon and writhe to the citizens. They should not be exhibition halls that simply wait for visitors."

Kim Giyong, the inaugural director of the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum, stated, "A museum should not be a fossil or artifact display case, but a gathering place like a sarangbang (traditional Korean guest room)." He expressed his ambition, saying, "I will make the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum a living museum where the past and present communicate, and the present sends messages to the future."

Under Director Kim’s leadership, the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum, which opened in March, is currently in a "half-open" state. The annex was opened first, and the main building will be fully opened around the end of this year. Director Kim is a graduate of Busan Gaya High School, completed doctoral coursework in history at Kyung Hee University, and worked at the National Archives, the Presidential Office Speech Records Secretariat, and served as the chief curator at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. He is also a historian specializing in Korean medieval history.

Kim Ki-yong, the inaugural director of the Busan Modern History Museum, is speaking in front of the Citizen's Book Tower.

The Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum covers a total area of 9,061㎡, combining the Busan Modern History Museum (formerly the Busan American Cultural Center) and the Busan branch of the Bank of Korea (formerly the Joseon Bank Busan branch). This museum building was originally constructed in 1929 by the Oriental Development Company during the Japanese colonial period as the Busan branch building. After liberation in 1945, when the Japanese left, the U.S. military used it as a base, and three years later, the sign was changed to the American Cultural Center. During the Korean War from 1950 for three years, it was used as the U.S. Embassy.

Fifty years later, in 2003, the Busan Modern History Museum opened here, and this year it was renamed the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum to mark a new start. During the American Cultural Center period, university students even set fire to the building. The building has preserved Busan’s modern and contemporary history by simply changing signs and holds many stories.

Director Kim said, "The main building will be a complex cultural space, and the annex will be a humanities hub, making it a new historical and cultural center for Busan."

This is the only history museum in the country specialized in modern and contemporary Korean history. Since starting trial operations in January, over 20,000 Busan citizens have visited. Regarding its popularity, Director Kim said, "It is designed with a 'larchiveum' concept where visitors can enjoy books, exhibitions, and performances, allowing citizens to visit comfortably to experience culture and relax," adding, "It seems that Busan citizens are quenching their thirst for cultural spaces here."

The area around the history museum is a place where two perspectives?development and preservation?clash over Busan’s original downtown, which rapidly grew as a temporary capital during the Korean War but is now in decline. Director Kim has a plan to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status by linking nine nearby modern and contemporary cultural heritage sites, including Busan Port Pier 1 and Biseok Village.

The Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum will create a cafe, museum shop, and outdoor plaza on the first floor of the main building, which opens at the end of this year. The basement level 1, which once housed the Bank of Korea vault, will be reborn as an experimental space for young artists alongside tour programs. Director Kim said, "We will not only collect, manage, and exhibit artifacts related to Busan but also draw out historical and cultural resources scattered throughout the old Busan downtown to present the journey of a century of modern and contemporary history."

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