This article aims to investigate South Korean contemporary cultural policy and cultural diplomacy in historical contexts and consider the role of museums as cultural institution and spaces for reflecting on contemporary political discourse. Since the dramatic economic growth of the 1960-1970s and the effect of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games in putting the nation on the world stage, South Korean cultural diplomacy has drastically changed. From the 1990s, South Korea has faced the issue of globalisation and cultural diversity and started to establish Korean galleries in overseas museums. The British Museum's permanent Korean gallery, for example, was established by the Korea Foundation in 2000 and underwent extensive refurbishment before reopening in November 2014. New contemporary artworks which re-interpreted Korean traditional identity replaced many archaeological artifacts with the intention of increasing visitor engagement. The British Museum's curatorial trial to connect contemporary and historical Korea remains room for think about a central role for museums in light of deepening globalisation and cultural interaction in the specific time and spatial contexts. With this in mind, I hope this theoretical and fieldwork analysis contributes to the development of contemporary museum policy and practice and influences the direction of Korean cultural curation in overseas museums.