(ATTN: Details of ADDS, photo)
Lee Min Ji

Seoul, July 7 (Yonhap News Agency)-Korea announces plans to build a museum in the capital on Wednesday, specializing in works of art donated by the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, after several months of deliberation on the location. did.

In this announcement, Lee’s family and the Ministry of Culture announced in late April that they would donate approximately 23,000 works of art, including masterpieces by Korean and Western artists such as Kim Yi-ki, Claude Monet, and Salvador Dali. It was done later. Lee Seung-yuop died in October.

Apart from the corporate empire he built, the late entrepreneur was an art lover, whose collection was easily comparable to the collection of a prestigious museum. Senior Lee, who is considered to own the largest collection of Korean national treasures among individuals, especially liked antique works of art.

Huang added that the decision to put together a huge collection of works from different eras also reflects the “philosophy of donors.”

The minister said the authorities were discussing how to hold an exhibition of collections in local cities, with local governments competing for bids likely to oppose the plan, and national interests were more than the will of each local government. He said it would take precedence.

Art historian Kim Young-na, who leads the committee, supported this view.

“I think the museum should be in the city center, a place that people can easily visit,” she said. “In that sense, I think the Jongno site is a little better, but both are very good places.”

Kim also mentioned how both sites are located near the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Contemporary Art, which are state-owned cultural institutions.

“It is a work of various fields, and the experience of both institutions is required for preservation, management and exhibition. It may be necessary to collaborate with other institutions such as the National Central Library. In Seoul, it is smooth in many respects. Will be. ”

The government did not specify a schedule for the museum to be built, but officials said it could take at least six to seven years to complete.

According to Min Byung-chan, the secretary general of the National Museum of Korea, it is expected that it will take about two years to register the donation and another three years for the primary research of the work.

“We expect it to be completed in 2027 or 2028, but this is just an estimate,” Min said in a press conference.

Huang said the decision to choose between the two sites is likely to be made by the end of the year.

Apart from the preliminary research on the construction of the museum, the government will exhibit some works at this year’s exhibition.

The National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Korea (both in Seoul) are scheduled to begin a special exhibition on July 21st. A joint exhibition commemorating the first anniversary of the donation is also tentatively scheduled for April. next year.