The purpose of this study is to examine the cultural facilities of the National Museum of Korea to provide public museums with basic information which these museums can in the future when they establish and operate cultural facilities to expand the fu...
The purpose of this study is to examine the cultural facilities of the National Museum of Korea to provide public museums with basic information which these museums can in the future when they establish and operate cultural facilities to expand the function of lifelong education. In order to achieve this purpose, I will examine the background of the establishment of the Museum and its cultural facilities and their various functions. By comparing the present condition of cultural facilities in Korean museums with the operation of other countries' cultural facilities, I will present suggestions for the strategy revitalize museum's cultural facilities with a view to expanding the opportunities of museum's lifelong education.
National Museum of Korea is the only museum at present that operates museum's cultural facilities professionally. When the Museum moved its location to Yongsan, it presented new operating directions - the expansion of cultural welfare service to encourage participation, the operation of the Museum as a lifelong learning organization, and the promotion of the Museum as East Asia's central museum and as a specific action plan of the new directions, the Museum expanded its cultural facilities. Museums in Korea are well aware of the importance of cultural facilities, but they lack in professional system and operation.
Even though the National Museum of Korea has the Culture Foundation, the operation of its cultural facilities is in its early stages. Compared with organizations in other countries with similar functions, it lacks clear goals, strategies and system and does not perform its functions properly as museum's cultural facilities.
The followings are major assertions of this study. First, the Culture Foundation should be incorporated into the National Museum of Korea to form one organizational system. When the relationship between a museum and an organization which is operating cultural facilities is based on contract-out as in the case of the National Museum, the connectivity between them weakens and the original purpose of the establishment of cultural facilities can easily be lost.
Second, museum's performance center where visitors can learn and enjoy leisure at the same time needs to plan various programs and strive to enhance lifelong education function. Theater Yong, the only museum theater in Korea, has problems such as lack of museum-related programs, performance after Museum hours, and the absence of representative performance programs for foreign visitors. In order to solve these problems, the theater should provide various programs that can attract more visitors. For example, Yong can divide its programs by time and visiting groups based on the museum's operation hours or it can hold movies or symposium about museum's exhibitions and history.
Third, cultural product business, which is the center of museum marketing activities, should strengthen the distribution and marketing of cultural products by developing new products using materials from the museum, by distinctive operation of stores, and by opening up various new markets at home and abroad.
Fourth, in order to strengthen museum's lifelong education function, cultural facilities should develop various educational programs while expanding their professional staff and lifelong learning facilities.
Fifth, to remain stable in performing its role as a culture complex, the Museum needs continuous financial support from government that is necessary for the operation of cultural facilities. Current operation system, self-supporting accounting system rather poses as a major obstacle to the operation of cultural facilities. Therefore, the museum should become financially more independent by revising the Restriction of Tax Reduction and Exemption Act and secure profits from the operation of cultural facilities as museum's own finance. The Museum also need to expand the exemption of value-added tax by converting cultural products into the category of educational or art products. Lastly, the Museum can also support itself financially by actively organizing museum supporting societies as they do in museums abroad.