Generally ethnographic museums represent the geographic, cultural or national other. Discussing reconciliation or peace as addressed in these museums can therefore be seen as an attempt to overcome dividing difference, to enhance congruence between different groups of people. The question is, however, a congruence on what and between who? Is it deliberation between conflict groups about the past and present, assimilation, nation-building processes or multi-culture the museum strives for? This paper aims to emphasize the very sensitive relationship of state, nation and cultural narratives, narratives of difference and commonness, and its possible deliberation in a museum. The manifold understandings will be explored on the basis of the Kaesŏng Koryŏ Museum, located just over the inter-Korean border in the ancient capital town Kaesŏng in North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). This museum is of particular interest for its location in the Koryŏ period Korean capital Kaesŏng, the first period of a unified peninsula. The unifying ideology of Koryŏ has been co-opted in North as South Korea for its evident parallels with the North-South unification rhetoric. Thus, the Koryŏ period remains exhibited in the Koryŏ Museum are carrier of meaningful associations for Korean reconciliation and even unification transmitted from the past into the present, the more so, as recent tourist tours for South Koreans allow access and deliberation of a shared history.

1. Visiting the Kaesŏng Koryŏ Museum
On the way for reconciliation on the Korean
peninsula
Ruth Scheidhauer
University College London, Institute of Archaeology
ICME/2009/Seoul: “Museums for Reconciliation and Peace-
Roles of Ethnographic Museums in the World”
Seoul, October 19 – 21, 2009

2. The Korean peninsula

3. Kaesŏng tourist map

4. Disturbed socio-cultural Reproduction
processes (in crisis)
Reproduction
processes
Culture Society Personality
Cultural
reproduction
Loss of meaning Loss of legitimacy Education and
orientation crisis
Social integration Intimidation of
collective identity
Anomie (loss of
social norms)
estrangement
Socialisation Loss of traditions Motivation
deprivation
Psychopathology
Adopted after Habermas, 1981, Vol. 2: 215

5. Socio-cultural reproduction processes of
communicative action
Reproduction
processes
Culture Society Personality
Cultural
reproduction
Transmission,
critique, gaining
new cultural
knowledge
Renewal of
legitimising
knowledge
Reproduction of
educational
knowledge
Social integration Immunisation of
core value
orientations
Coordination of
actions along
inter-subjective
valid norms
Reproduction of
Social affiliation
patterns
Socialisation Di-culturation Value
internalisation
Construction of
Personal identity

6. Reconciliation on the Korean peninsula
• Inter-state diplomacy
• Economical cooperation
• Institutional cooperation
• Deliberation of historical narratives
– Scholarly/ professional exchange (encounter)
– School education
– Tourism (Museum visits)

7. The benefits of Kaesong tourism
(www.ikaesong.com)
• First overland connection from ROK to DPRK
• Visiting the cultural and scenic sites of Kaesong
assists inter Korean exchange and the foundation
of unification

8. The museum’s role for reconciliation
• Ethnicity dictates a strong influence on Korean
national identity and cultural values
• Does the museum reveal a sense of reconciliation
through this shared belonging?
• How, if at all, is the contradiction of a common
national culture and a divided nation-state dealt
with?

9. Kaesŏng Koryŏ Museum partial timeline
1931: provincial museum is established
1933-44: famous art-historian Ko Yusop is
museum director
1945-52: provincial museum under ROK Korea
Nat Mus.
1952-88: change of name to Kaesong History Museum
Museum under DPRK rule
1988-present: move to the current site of the
Sŏnggyun’gwan newly named Koryŏ Museum
2005-07: first tours for ROK citizens to
Kaesong and the museum

10. The past of the Kaesŏng Koryŏ Museum
The Kaesŏng Provincial Museum
with a new adjunct building (1949)
National Museum Evacuation
committee meeting in Pusan 1952
(Jin Hong-sob on left)

11. Former director
(1947-52) of the
Kaesŏng Museum,
Jin Hong-sob at an
interview in March
2009
• Secret burial of 100 artefacts from the museum in a
nearby village before having to flee Kaesŏng in
December 1951
Munhwa Ilbo News 2000-10-21
Interview 20.10.2000
(Govern. inspection of the Korea Nat. Mus.)
Interview 11.03.2009
(an interview series in celebration of 100 anniversary
of the Korea Museum)
• Due to ongoing battles around Kaesŏng, already well before the
official beginning of the Korean War, director Jin had Koryŏ ceramics
and other important cultural relics hastily sent to Seoul and the
Kaesŏng Provincial Museum closed its doors.
Donga Ilbo 2009-03-12

12. Multiple nation narratives

13. Cultural nation engagement

14. Cultural nation narratives

15. Ideological nation narratives

16. Ideological nation narrative

17. Ideological nation narrative II
Kim Il-Songism
‘Female’ dragon head ‘Male’ dragon head

18. Compared to our [South Korean] museums, the state of the
exhibition is shamefully appalling. As electricity was saved it
was dark, and one light was not enough to illuminate the
Koryŏ celadons sufficiently, the stone sarcophagus and
bronze censer are exposed unprotected from the hands of
passing tourists. Despite the exhibition’s lack of refinement,
the over one thousand artefacts are a stupendous treasure
of great value.
(Hanguk Ilbo,
January 4, 2008)

19. Signposts, culture and politics
One tourist thinks that the
constant reference to Kim Il
song as expressed in all the
signpost must be tiring for
the north Korean citizen. He
further notes: “See, the
name of the great leader
and his remarks are written
in red letters. Historic sites
and politics! Does not
really fit”.
A younger tourist also
comments on the boldly
visible omnipresence of the
two Kims. “Wherever one
goes, one easily sees their
idolization”.

20. Also the emphasize on pictures taken by or with a North
Korean tour guide, gives an idea of the exceptional
experience as well as the nearly surprised realization that
the North Korean is a (normal) human being.

21. Conclusion
Pre-defined means of reconciliation, engagement and
deliberation are not used in a sufficient way.
• The museum narratives are not a joined effort of
deliberation, yet very much rely on common cultural
grounds.
• Rather than active engagement, the museum visit is a
one-sided encounter.
• Despite being unbalanced, this encounter leaves its
positive effects on both sides. A realisation of actual
geographical closeness, and cultural and human affinity
with the ROK tourist and an (economical) impression on
the DPRK personnel involved.

22. Thank you!
감사합니다 !
Remains of stone pagoda from
Hŭngguk-sa in the Koryŏ Museum