Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City to Collect Artifacts for the Busan Independence Movement Memorial Hall

내용

Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon, announced that it will proceed with the collection of artifacts related to the history of the independence movement in Busan in order to complete the exhibition, research, and educational content of the Busan Independence Movement Memorial Hall, which is currently under development with the goal of opening in the first half of 2027.

The artifact collection will be carried out through a dual approach combining public purchases and donations. This initiative has been designed to uncover and document the historical value of Busan’s independence movement together with citizens and to preserve these materials as public assets.

The Busan Independence Movement Memorial Hall is being established through the renovation of the Citizens’ Love Building within Busan Citizens Park. Planned as a citizen-participatory public museum, the facility will consist of two above-ground floors with a total floor area of approximately 2,377.68 square meters and will include exhibition spaces, experiential and educational areas, and memorial spaces.

The City is advancing the project in stages, including feasibility studies, public hearings with citizens, expert consultations, and the development of a basic exhibition design. Based on the core concept of “a place of memory, a space shared together, and an open park,” the memorial hall will be developed as a space where citizens can share the history of Busan’s independence movement through artifacts and exhibition content.

To lay the groundwork for the memorial hall, the City proactively pursued the collection of independence movement–related artifacts throughout last year (2025). As a result, a total of 602 artifacts related to the history of the independence movement and modern and contemporary history of Busan were secured through purchases, donations, and auctions. These materials include numerous items that vividly illustrate the people, events, and everyday life of Busan.

The secured artifacts are currently undergoing research and review to assess their potential for exhibition use, preservation status, and historical value. They will be gradually incorporated into the exhibition implementation design and the production and installation of experiential exhibits.

In addition, the City plans to further supplement exhibition content through public purchases and donations, thereby enhancing the completeness of both permanent and special exhibitions at the memorial hall. The scope of collection includes a broad range of independence movement–related artifacts directly or indirectly connected to Busan, from the Korean Empire period and the Japanese colonial era through the post-liberation period. These include records and personal belongings of independence activists, materials related to anti-Japanese movements in Busan, and everyday artifacts that reflect the social conditions of modern and contemporary Busan.

Donations may be submitted by telephone, email, or in person. The City plans to honor donors by presenting donation certificates and establishing a donor recognition space within the memorial hall. Donated materials, subject to the donor’s consent, will undergo physical examination and review before a final decision on acceptance is made. Particularly important materials may be considered for special exhibitions or designation as cultural heritage.

Public purchases of artifacts will be conducted through an open call, and participation is open to any qualified individual or entity, including private collectors, corporations or organizations, and licensed cultural property dealers. The public notice period will run for 45 days, from January 19 to March 4, and artifact submissions will be accepted from January 26 to March 4 at 5:00 p.m. via email or registered mail.

Detailed information regarding public artifact purchases can be found in the public notices section of the City’s website at busan.go.kr/nbgosi, or by contacting the Veterans Support Team of the General Affairs Division at 051-888-1915.

Submitted artifacts will undergo a two-stage evaluation process in March, consisting of a first-stage document review and a second-stage physical evaluation conducted by internal and external experts. In April, the list of artifacts selected for purchase will be disclosed for a designated period to verify provenance and confirm the absence of illegal acquisition, after which final purchase decisions will be made.

Artifacts acquired through purchase will be systematically registered and conserved, and will be utilized across a range of applications at the Busan Independence Movement Memorial Hall, including permanent and special exhibitions, educational programs, academic research, and digital content. Purchased artifacts will be temporarily stored at the storage facility of the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum before being transferred to the memorial hall’s storage facility upon its completion.

Park Geun-rok, Director General of the Administrative Management Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “The Busan Independence Movement Memorial Hall is a space where the spirit of Busan’s independence movement can be understood and carried forward by both present and future generations,” adding, “Building on the achievements already made in artifact collection, we hope for active participation from citizens so that the content of the memorial hall can be further enriched.”