• Bangmulgwan gwa yeongu (The National Museum of Korea Journal)
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• v.1
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• pp.330-355
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• 2024

There are two main perspectives in Korea on Korean cultural heritage located overseas: one views it as items that need to be repatriated since they were scattered abroad under unfortunate historical circumstances. The other considers them as a means to more widely promote Korea's culture and long history. A shift in perspective has gradually been taking place in the decades since Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. This can be noted through three major types of exhibitions. The first type is exhibitions of repatriated cultural heritage that showcase items that were illegally removed from the country but later returned or otherwise acquired through purchase or donation. The Special Exhibition of Returned Cultural Heritage, which was held in 1966 on the occasion of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Japan, emphasized the legitimacy of reclaiming cultural properties that were illegally removed from Korea during the period of Japanese colonial rule. Around the 1990s, special exhibitions of private donations were held, which also highlighted the legitimacy of repatriation. The special exhibition of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe (Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty from the Outer Royal Library) held in 2011 was seen as an opportunity to raise public interest in repatriation, heal the wounds of history, and restore the nation's cultural pride. The second type of exhibition involves borrowing and displaying overseas Korean cultural heritage in accordance with a theme as a means to reenergize and provide a comprehensive view of Korean culture. The exhibitions National Treasures from the Goryeo Dynasty in 1995 and National Treasures from the Early Joseon Dynasty in 1997 (both held at the Hoam Museum of Art) and the Masterpieces of Goryeo Buddhist Painting held at the National Museum of Korea in 2010 underscored the importance of overseas Korean cultural heritage for exploring Korean cultural history. The third type is special exhibitions on the history of the collection of Korean cultural heritage. With Korea's economic growth in the 1980s and the increase in exhibitions and the number of galleries featuring Korean cultural heritage in overseas museums in the 1990s, interest in the history of acquisition also grew. Exhibitions like The Korean Collection of the Peabody Essex Museum in 1994 and Korean Art from the United States in 2012 introduced overseas galleries focused on Korean art and the diverse history of collecting Korean cultural properties. They also examined the perception of Korean art in the United States. These efforts heightened public interest in establishing and supporting Korean galleries abroad. The initiation of more systematic surveys and research on Korean cultural heritage located abroad and the contribution of overseas Korean cultural heritage to the enhancement of the local understanding and promotion of Korean culture have resulted in changes to the perception of overseas Korean cultural heritage in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.49
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• pp.77-119
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• 2016

A modern architectural building is a cultural heritage, which is also part of our history until the present. Documentation is thus considered an irreplaceable method to preserve our cultural heritage as it may be the last resort of preservation. The study analyzed the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) on the Heritage Documentation Programs of the National Park Service. Based on the analysis of the comparison and documentation of the modern architectural building implemented by the Cultural Heritage Administration, the study suggested improvement plans from three different perspectives. First, specifically detailed regulations of the legal system are supposed to be used for the implementation of the documentation of modern architectural buildings. Second, it is suggested that a general plan for continuous documentation be made. Last, by setting up a collection method, an information service needs to be provided for the public.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.27
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• pp.147-164
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• 2022

Over 200,000 Korean cultural heritage items are currently located abroad. They have made their way to 22 countries under different circumstances and with unique backgrounds. While some of them continue to contribute to promoting Korean culture around the world, others cannot be exhibited due to damage or poor condition. In view of these circumstances, the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation (OKCHF) has since 2013 provided museums and art galleries abroad with support for the conservation, restoration, and utilization of the Korean cultural heritage items that they house. As a part of these efforts and on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between the Republic of Korea and the Kingdom of Belgium in 2021, a gilt-bronze case for acupuncture needles dating to the Goryeo period (918-1392) from the collection of the Royal Museums of Art and History (RMAH), Belgium was brought to Korea for conservation treatment. The primary purpose of this conservation treatment was to restore the original form of the relic and slow to the degree possible the progress of corrosion. The conservation treatment of the gilt-bronze case followed the fundamental order of conservation treatment: removal of corrosive substances, stabilization, and reinforcement. Since this was the first case of restoring metallic cultural properties under the abovementioned support program by the OKCHF, special methodologies distinct from those available in overseas institutions were required. Diverse scientific methods (e.g., X-ray inspection, CT scanning, 3D microscopy) were applied to identify the metalcraft techniques used in the Goryeo period. The analysis found that several designs, including lotus and scrollwork, were exquisitely engraved on the surface of the case by making dots using a round-edged chisel. A bronze plate engraved with designs was rolled into a cylindrical form. The ends were overlapped by 2 to 3 centimeters and then attached to each other by silver soldering. The overlapping ends were welded flat with nearly no gaps. As the final process in the production, the case was lavishly gilt with gold powder using amalgam gilding. The conservation treatment of the gilt-bronze case for acupunctural needles in the RMAH collection restored the original form of the relic and arrested further corrosion. Above all, it revived the historic and academic value of the overseas Korean cultural heritage through scientific analysis.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.70-85
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• 2011

The study of the modern art market and distribution differs in its research focus from that of traditional art history, which traces and analyzes the works of master artists, their schools and influence, in that it attempts to approach such issues as art and society, and distribution and consumption of works of art, based on new research methods and perspectives. This paper examines the life and art collection activities of Park Yeong-cheol, considered to be one of the earliest major modern Korean art collectors. He graduated from the Japanese military academy and served as both a solider of the Greater Korean Empire and a high level officer of the Japanese army. After being discharged, he served as Governor of Gangwon-do and then Hamgyeongbuk-do, and after his retirement from public office, he became a leading businessman. He is well-known as a Japanese sympathizer who approved of and advocated for the aggressive colonial policies of the Japanese empire. As a cultural enthusiast and art collector, however, Park Yeong-cheol published the most accurate edition of Yeonamjip, and donated his collection to Geyongseong University at the end of his life, thus providing the foundation for the Seoul National University Museum. All of these activities are highly commendable. His interest in growing his collection of paintings and calligraphies was largely motivated by his love of paintings and Chinese poems,but it also appears to have been the result of his active collaboration with the Japanese government's policy of trying to discover the distinct, non-western characteristics of traditional Eastern art.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.133-143
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• 2022

In this study, we analyzed the rickshaw (Owned by the Daegu Modern History Museum) by measuring each material. The purpose of the study was to identify the materials in modern cultural assets that utilize a variety of materials in a complex way, and establish basic data for preservation and management. Using portable X-ray fluorescence analyzers (P-XRF), species identification, fiber identification, paint film analysis (microscope observation, SEM-EDS, FTIR) on metal, wood, fiber and paint was carried out. Brass, an alloy of Copper, Zinc and Iron, was measured in the metal parts. Further, wooden parts, such as Oak (Quercus acutissima), Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Bamboo (Bambusoideae). Torreya nucifera (Torreya spp.) were identified in the body. Fiber parts consisted mainly of cotton, but some parts were also made of leather. In terms of paint, rickshaws were applied with multiple layers, using cashew (synthetic paint used in place of lacquer). In sum, the rickshaw body part appeared to overlap with layers of fiber, metal (soild), paint, and colored (black, red) layer.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.36-63
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• 2020

Percival Lowell took photographs of 80s during his stay in Korea in the winter of 1883 and 1884. The photographs are the first in the history of Korea and contain various and precious information about Korea of the day. As such, they could be used for purposes of studying late 19th century Chosōn society. The 61 photographs that are archived in Boston Museum of Fine Art were catalogued by National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and have been posted online with incorrect explanations by Boston Museum of Fine Art. The explanations have been composed and revised at least four times on the basis of Lowell's writings and archivists' understandings of Korea. However these explanations contain many errors regarding the content of the photographs, yet have been cited by researchers and books concerning the history of Korea. I examined the explanations, analyzed Lowell's writings and diplomatic documents, and confirmed the locations where the photographs were taken. Accordingly, I suggest improved explanations of the photographs to prevent misuse of the Boston Museum of Fine Art's online archive. Lowell's photographs of Chosōn have very high historical value and could be used in various cultural fields because of their various contents and high definition. However, they belong to America and are not cared for sufficiently. Therefore, I suggest that high definition digital scans and prints of the photographs be generated for the sake of overseas Korean cultural heritage collection.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2010

We fabricated urethane material based on properties of reversible and unfading for antic-ceramics restoration. This material with low viscosity was made hardness control possible that user want. And it have very strong adhesion and shear strength properties and is shown the best properties for pigment filling, anti-contractibility, coloring as like epoxy system materials. Particularly, the yellowing and ir-reversibility problem in epoxy restoration material were finally solved. So, there is guarantee in the eternity and stabilization of restoration for antic-celamics. And in order to show the reversible state of the restoration, we successfully dissolve this urethane materials in solvent after perfect restoring subsequently.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.66
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• pp.37-67
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• 2020

Recently, industrial heritages have been transformed into cultural facilities in the wake of urban Regeneration. This focus is mainly on appearance, and the explanation is often abbreviated as a master narrative, and the placeness is not sufficiently inherited. The placeness of industrial heritage contains not only historical but also personal memories. Place memory must be collected and managed in order for the placeness that can be the source of identity to be preserved and utilized. To this end, this study suggested collecting place memories based on personal life histories. Using the case of collecting Andong Station and Cheongju Tobacco Factory, the life narrative was broken down into an event and the process of reinterpreting it as a place memory was proposed to implement archiving of industrial heritage sites. This methodology means that it can be supplemented rather than replaced.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.22-44
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• 2022

Lacquer, in addition to high-end crafts such as lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl, was an important strategic material used in a wide range of fields such as industry, architecture, and munitions during the Japanese colonial era. In particular, as the demand for lacquer used in munitions soared in the 1940s when the war started, a ticket system was introduced to restrict its distribution. Meanwhile, Japan experienced a chronic shortage of lacquer as a result of the rapidly increasing demand for it, and thus went on to import Chinese lacquer after the late 19th century. After the 1910s, the market share of Chinese lacquer reached 90%, and the local situation in China began to affect the supply and demand for lacquer in Japan. To counteract the issue, the Japanese government increased the production of lacquer in Joseon. As for the project to increase lacquer production in Joseon, objective indicators were prepared through a number of tests in the 1910s and 20s, which paved the way for the project to begin in earnest in the 1930s. Lacquer trees were planted and training classes on how to collect lacquer were held throughout the country. The Japanese government promoted the lacquer production industry as a promising side job for Koreans. The project, implemented in various parts of the country, reaped fruitful results, and it provided the basis for lacquer production in Korea that has continued to this day. At that time, the major regions in the southern part of the country where the project was concentrated were Wonju, Okcheon, and Hamyang, regions that are still known today as major production sites. The improved method of collecting lacquer taught to Koreans by the Japanese has now become the main method of collecting lacquer in Korea. This study attempts to identify the current status of the project to increase lacquer production through various records from the Japanese colonial era with a view to contributing to the study of modern lacquer craft history.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.261-271
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was the development of traditional food recipes from local food contents related to the historical and cultural heritage in the representative long-lived area Damyang. The information on digging 'story' was collected through the region's representative local native journal, searching for related websites, analyzing old literatures, and interviewing traditional household; 'telling', the part of conveyance, was organized by reviewing the literatures, including historical condition, regional food materials, cuisine, region symbolism, etc. After nutritional analysis, the prepared, balanced, and healthy Korean food dishes using the traditional food contents were displayed. In Damyang, the story was extracted from Heuichoon Ryu (柳希春, 1543-1577) - figura of Damyang - and his collection, 'Miam's diary', and described about native food. The traditional history of many foods that were used mainly as rewarding during one's trouble, showing good faith, and delivering gratitude is recorded in Miam diary. A little effort has been made to express the classical scholar's clean and neat dining table which was the mixed Damyang's clean image and nobleman's straight integrity in the middle of the Choson Dynasty. Nutrition fact of 'Miam's table' was based on the Daily Reference Values of Koreans aged 65 or older.