Busan Gijang-gun Opens 'Gijang Modern History Museum'... Starting January Next Year

New Local Cultural Tourism Resource, Venue for Modern History Education

On the 20th, Gijang-gun, Busan, held an opening ceremony for the ‘Gijang Modern History Museum’ in the Dongbu-ri area of Gijang-eup, announcing on the 21st that the museum will be actively utilized as a cultural attraction and a place for modern history education in the region.

The opening ceremony was attended by Gijang-gun Governor Jeong Jong-bok, Park Hong-bok, chairman of the Gijang County Council, county council members, members of the Busan Metropolitan Council, and about 100 local residents, who welcomed the opening of the region’s first history museum.

Jeong Jong-bok, the head of Gijang County, and officials are touring the Gijang Modern History Museum. Photo by Gijang County

The Gijang Modern History Museum was created through a nine-month remodeling process using a modern building from the Japanese colonial period. The building was constructed in 1937 during the Japanese occupation and was used as a residence until 2021, when it was acquired by Gijang-gun. Due to the well-preserved roof structure and wooden framework, it was designated as a modern architectural structure of Busan on June 29, 2021.

The building features a Han-Japan hybrid style with a wooden structure and a Woojin-gak type roof covered with Japanese-style tiles. The garden-centered layout consists of an inner building and a lower building arranged in an ‘ㄱ’ shape. The inner building includes a wooden floor sliding door and an attic above the living room space, while the lower building serves as a storage area.

The inner building showcases the structure and style of buildings constructed during the Japanese colonial period, while the lower building houses an exhibition space that provides an overview of Gijang’s modern history, fostering local historical awareness and offering various attractions to visitors exploring Gijang.

Governor Jeong Jong-bok said, “I hope that residents and tourists visiting the museum will have an opportunity to experience modern architecture and reflect on Gijang’s modern history,” adding, “We will do our best to manage the museum so that it becomes a place where the community connects and creates new history.”

The Gijang Modern History Museum will officially open in January 2025. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and weekends, except Mondays, which are regular closing days. For more details, please contact the Gijang-gun Cultural Heritage Team.

Gijang-gun is opening the Gijang Modern History Museum.

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