First Step Toward Establishing the National Museum of Women's History After 10 Years of Efforts

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Jeong-ok. / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] The National Museum of Women's History has entered the realization stage of its construction after more than 10 years of efforts. On the 1st, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's 2021 budget, which passed the Cabinet meeting, included 300 million KRW for the construction of the Women's History Museum for the first time.

A Ministry of Gender Equality and Family official explained the background, saying, "Since 2012, the Women's Museum Promotion Council and others have been operating privately, and the National Assembly and government have continued discussions annually," adding, "Due to difficulties in site selection, the budget had not been reflected until now." The Women's History Museum is planned to be expanded and relocated from the National Women's History Exhibition Hall currently located in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The exhibition hall had issues such as limited space and poor accessibility. Also, since it was operated by renting a private building, the exhibition hall could not open on holidays.

The newly constructed Women's History Museum will be built by demolishing an empty building on the site of the Korean Women's Development Institute in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family commissioned a feasibility study last year to the Korean Society of Cultural Space Architecture and has completed the site feasibility investigation. The museum will have a total floor area of about 7,000㎡ (2,118 pyeong), with 5 floors above ground and 2 floors underground.

While the exhibition hall focused on women's life history, the museum plans to expand its themes to fields such as politics, economy, and labor, and to enrich related materials. Although it is a museum, it will be designed as a space where education and performances can also take place. If the budget passes the National Assembly and construction proceeds smoothly, it is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Jung-ok said in an online briefing the day before, "Many countries around the world already have women's history museums," adding, "We will strive to build one that is not inferior to those museums."

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