The idea of a museum cannot be divorced from the context of Western imperialism and
colonial expansionism. The Government-General Museum of Korea{ Chosen Sotokufu
Hakubutsukan) was established in 1915 on the site of the Korean Palace with the even the
name of the museum carrying overtly the meaning of domination over the people in the
colony. This was the colonialist museum, as 1 like to call it.
The nationalist museum by contrast eventually replaced the former in terms of the building
as well as organization with independence under the auspices of the US military government.
The museum incorporated the Museum of Anthrop이ogy in Seoul just before the Korean war
of 1950. In this sense, between the colonialist era and the war the museum was carrying the
content of anthropological ideas regarding other cultures.
Thus the museum has at least as often served colonialist as well as nationalist interests.
providing evidence for the antiquity, cultural merit, and political legitmacy for ruling the
people during colonial days as well as of a people and their government since independence.
In the 21th century, the key-word "globalism" could be the main issue in formulating our
museums in the world.