[Kansong and His Sons, Protecting Korean Culture]
- Chun Young-woo, Director of the Kansong Art Museum
When Kansong Art Museum was founded in 1928, it became Korea's first private art museum. Countless precious paintings, writings, ceramics, stoneworks, and records from history make up the museum's inimitable collection. In particular, the collection boasts 12 national treasures and 10 treasures, and so it's no wonder that people often call Kansong Art Museum the nation's treasure chest.
These precious artworks were all collected by one man?a man who went by the name of Kansong, who was determined to protect his country by preserving the nation's cultural artifacts. He spent fortunes and endured many hardships to acquire these artworks during the tumult of the era of Japanese occupation and the subsequent Korean War.
Since 1971, the museum has opened a free exhibition to the public for just 2 seasons a year. But starting in 2014, the museum has decided to open exhibitions at external locations as well, and have shared the main pieces of the collection online.
This week on Heart to Heart, we speak with the son of Kansong, Chun Young-woo, who is the current director of the Kansong Art Museum, to discuss with him the beauty and the value of Korea's cultural artifacts.