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Busan Museum to Present Three Stories in 2026: Busan’s Port Opening, World Heritage, and Gardens of Joseon

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Busan Museum (hereinafter the Museum) will present three exhibitions sequentially throughout 2026 that connect the 150th anniversary of the opening of Busan Port, the hosting of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Busan, and the garden culture of the Joseon Dynasty.

This year’s exhibitions are organized around three key themes—“the history of Busan’s port opening, world heritage, and garden aesthetics”—with a focus on reexamining the identity of the city and the value of Korean cultural heritage.

By presenting history, world heritage, and traditional aesthetics in a multidimensional way, the exhibitions will also pursue diversity in exhibition techniques and operations, offering citizens broad opportunities to enjoy culture throughout the year.

The first exhibition, the themed special exhibition “150 Years of the Opening of Busan Port: Those Who Crossed the Sea,” will be held from March 24 to May 17.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of Busan Port, making it a particularly meaningful year. The exhibition was planned to share the historical significance of this milestone with citizens. Since its opening in 1876, Busan Port has served as the gateway to the Korean Peninsula and a central hub for the influx and exchange of modern culture and goods.

The exhibition tells the story of the 150 years since the port’s opening through a narrative in which the Museum’s characters, Heunggu and Maggie, embark on a journey through time into “Choryanghwagwando” (19th century). Following the journey of the two characters, visitors will naturally become immersed in the scenery and history of Busan during the period of the port’s opening.

Through artifacts, videos, and experiential displays, visitors can easily and engagingly experience the transformation of Busan and the evolving role of its port after the opening. The exhibition particularly strengthens storytelling and interactive elements designed with children and families in mind.

In particular, the exhibition will introduce for the first time the characters Heunggu and Maggie, created from artifacts in the Museum’s collection. These characters will be used in the Museum’s education and promotional activities in the future.

Next, from July 7 to August 31, the special exhibition “The Joseon Royal Court and World Heritage” (tentative title) will be held to commemorate the hosting of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Busan.

Organized on the occasion of the World Heritage Committee meeting taking place in Busan, the exhibition is expected to provide a platform to widely introduce the value and significance of Korean cultural heritage, which has attracted global attention, to both domestic and international audiences.

Jointly organized by Busan Museum and the National Palace Museum of Korea, the exhibition will present the status of Korean cultural heritage by focusing on world heritage and documentary heritage associated with the Joseon royal court.

In addition, the exhibition will highlight Busan’s major cultural heritage sites, demonstrating the connections between world heritage and local cultural heritage. Through this, visitors will gain a deeper understanding of how cultural heritage with universal value is linked to the city of Busan.

In autumn, from October 13 to December 13, the exchange exhibition “Gardens of Joseon: Planting the Mind and Wandering in the Landscape” (tentative title) will conclude the year’s exhibition program.

This exhibition illuminates the philosophy of Joseon garden creation and the culture of refined enjoyment unique to Joseon, which embraced nature and cultivated the mind, through various gardens that reflect the worldview of people during the Joseon Dynasty.

Focusing on paintings and crafts from the Joseon period, the exhibition introduces the aesthetics of gardens and uses digital technologies such as immersive video to create an exhibition environment in which visitors can experience the garden landscapes depicted in paintings in a vivid and immersive way.

Jeong Eun-woo, Director of Busan Museum, stated, “The three exhibitions prepared this year are part of our efforts to examine both the history of Busan and the value of Korean cultural heritage, while also expanding the foundation for citizens to enjoy culture in their daily lives.” He added, “We will do our utmost to operate these exhibitions so that people of all generations, from children to adults, can naturally encounter history and culture.”