• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.114-129
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• 2022

Securing a safe place to keep its collections in Busan, the interim capital during the Korean War, the National Museum of Korea could fulfill its mission to protect the national treasures. Right before Seoul was recaptured by the Communist forces, the museum managed to evacuate its collections to Busan in December of 1950. Until the armistice in 1953, a Korean government warehouse in Busan had to function as a temporary museum building. Protecting the national treasures in this small building, the National Museum of Korea had to maintain its role as a national museum and contribute in revitalizing cultural functions of Busan, the interim capital. The efforts led to hope for reconstructing the museum.

• Journal of Korean Society of Archives and Records Management
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.237-243
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• 2020

This article introduces the case of archival management of the War and Women's Human Rights Museum. The War and Women's Human Rights is a nongovernment organization (NGO) focusing on the welfare of the Korean women who survived the Japanese military sexual slavery and is operated by a small museum. On the surface, the institution is registered and operated as a museum; however, as the parent institution's actual work and collection records were transferred and managed, archival management functions account for a large portion of the museum's work. In this study, the museum archivist and the collection archives' characteristics and roles were introduced. As the differences and specialization between general museums and records management institutions are seen through the collection types, the advantages of a museum for archive management were discussed, and a system for records management institutions to move toward cultural institutions was proposed. Furthermore, the record management problems and their impacts on record management in response to the organization's recent crisis, and its future vision and plans were introduced.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.27
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• pp.57-66
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• 2022

This study conducted conservation treatment of a briefcase used by a soldier who fought in the Korean War as a member of the United Nations Forces. The zooid characteristics of its main material, leather, were analyzed in collaboration with the researchers at the National Palace Museum of Korea who have conducted relevant research. A plan for conservation treatment was established based on the results of this analysis. The briefcase was made of leather with a wooden frame. The many densely arranged tiny pores in different patterns on the leather's surface suggests calf leather. The wooden frame and leather had suffered deformation over long years of deterioration and thus required conservation treatment to enhance their structural stability. The conservation treatment began with the removal of contaminants from the exterior and interior of the briefcase. The stiffened leather was softened through humidification, and torn or separated areas were restored using cowhide glue. It is expected that the results of this conservation treatment and analysis of the leather material will serve as useful sources for basic research on leather items as well as wartime and military items.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.26-38
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to analyze the commemoration culture of Vietnam War Memorials (VWM) in Vietnam. Through site survey, the researcher selected 23 VWM in Vietnam and analyzed 5 categories: memorial type, design concept and narratives, location and spatial form, landscape elements, and content expressed in landscape details. The results are as follows: 1. Because of the long, drawn out Vietnam War, which lasted from 1955 to 1975, VWM were divided into 10 types mainly as soldier cemeteries based on a traditional memorial style, battlefields and places of tragedies considering sense of place, war museums representing victory and atrocity in war, and peace parks promoting reconciliation and peacemaking. 2. The analysis revealed that the main concepts and narratives of VWM were to value the victims of the Vietnam War, remember soldiers' contributions, highlight the victory in war and resistance to the United States, and express a sense of place. Peacemaking applied only to My Lai Peace Park and Han-Viet Hoa Binh Cong Vien, built by international cooperation. 3. Cemeteries and appreciation memorials were designed to follow a traditional memorial space form that highly regard both axis and symmetry. The design concept at battlefields and places where tragedies occurred depended mainly upon a sense of place and used symbolic landscape elements to compensate for the undefined concept. 4. Sculptures and towers were mainly used to highlight war victory and resistance as the representative style of a Socialist country, weapons and pictures exhibited in war museums and battlefield showed the reality and strain of war. Symbolic elements of Buddhism and Confucianism were often introduced as a way to venerate the memory of deceased persons. 5. The state and heroic actions in the Vietnam War were realistically depicted on sculptures and walls. Also, the symbolic phrase, 'TO-QUOC-GUI-CONG' meaning 'our country remember your achievement', were written on the memorial tower and 'Quagmiire' was used to metaphorically represent the difficulties faced by the U.S. military on battlefields during the war and the uncertainly that pervaded U.S. society in those days. 6. In VWM, ideologies like nationalism, patriotism, socialism, capitalism were mixed and traditional cultures like Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism were inherent. Differing from their Confucianism culture, war heroes, particularly including women, were often described by sculpture, monument, and pictures and the conflict in and outside the country regarding the Vietnam War was shown. Further study will be required to analyze design characteristics of VWM in the u.s. and to understand the difference in commemoration cultures between Vietnam and the U.S.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.198-216
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• 2024

This article reevaluates the National Museum of Korea's pivotal actions during the Korean War in the 1950s and its aftermath. It argues that the evacuation of the museum's collection to Busan and the subsequent exhibition "Masterpieces of Korean Art" in the United States in 1957 were not isolated events, but rather interconnected facets of a larger narrative shaping the museum's trajectory. With newly discovered archival evidence, this study unravels the intricate relationship between these episodes, revealing how the initial Busan evacuation evolved into a strategic U.S.-led touring exhibition. Traditionally, the Busan evacuation has been understood solely as a four-stage relocation of the museum's collections between December 1950 and May 1951. However, this overlooks the broader context, particularly the subsequent U.S. journey. Driven by the war's initial retreat of the war, the Busan evacuation served as a stepping stone for evacuation to Honolulu Museum of Art. The path of evacuation took an unexpected turn when the government redirected the collections to the Honolulu Museum of Art. Initially conceived as a storage solution, public opposition led to a remarkable transformation: the U.S. exhibition. To address public concerns, the evacuation plan was canceled. This shift transformed the planned introduction into a full-fledged traveling exhibition. Subsequently approved by the National Assembly, the U.S. Department of State spearheaded development of the exhibition, marking a distinct strategic cultural policy shift for Korea. Therefore, the Busan evacuation, initially envisioned as a temporary introduction to the U.S., ultimately metamorphosed into a multi-stage U.S. touring exhibition orchestrated by the U.S. Department of State. This reframed narrative sheds new light on the museum's crucial role in navigating a complex postwar landscape, revealing the intricate interplay between cultural preservation, public diplomacy, and strategic national interests.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.23
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• pp.71-90
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• 2020

The scientific analysis of a 'F-51D Mustang Fighter'(Registered Cultural Heritage 666), one of the War Memorial of Korean collections, was carried out. The paint layer and canopy were discolored due to a constant outdoor exhibit. The results obtained through the scientific survey and analysis processes were intended to be used as basic data for the future dismantling and restoration of the fighter. The analysis results for the pigment components have confirmed red oxide of iron, Fe₂O₃ organic pigments, such as Cobalt Blue, phthalocyanine blue, etc., yellow PbCrO₄, white TiO₂, black Fe₃O₄, and gray Fe₃O₄ + TiO₂. It has been also confirmed that Alkyd resin was mainly used for painting. The fighter's canopy was Poly methyl methacrylate(PMMA), and Al was detected as the main component of the fighter body, wings, and tails.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.98-104
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• 2016

The study explores, by carrying out literature review (theoretical pursuit) and case analysis (practical works), the changed point of view on the European war memorial/museum, the revolution of museography and its paradigm, the case analysis of war memorial/museum in the paradigm shift, the new point of view and its role. Through the theoretical thinking and the case analysis, it concludes that the exhibition space of war memorial/museum, which is in the center of material culture, is turning into the venue of societal culture. Ultimately, it aims at indicating the necessity of the paradigm shift, and offering the exhibition design strategy and technique which can better display the objects - remains - of the terrible war and the importance of peace for the old generation and the future generation.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.27
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• pp.67-90
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• 2022

A C-46 transport aircraft, which can be thought of as a large cultural heritage item from the modern period, was subjected to paint analysis and conservation treatment in preparation for its exhibition. The C-46 is the first aircraft ever dispatched to overseas combat zones by the Korean Air Force and carried out missions during the Vietnam War. The aircraft is mainly made of aluminum and shows signs of corrosion on its surface, including pitting and etching, as well as gray and white powdery attachments. In the analysis of the paint, diatomite(SiO₂·nH₂O) was confirmed in the red paint, titanium dioxide(TiO₂) was identified in the white paint, black iron oxide(Fe₃O₄) was detected in the black paint, and colcothar(Fe₃O₄) mixed with putty was confirmed in the blue paint. Infrared spectroscopy revealed the use of alkyd resin in the paint on the main body and nitrocellulose in the Taegeuk pattern. During the conservation treatment, mechanical cleaning, such as sanding, was conducted to remove paint and varnish from the surface. Corrosion was removed by sanding and cleaning with chemical solvents, and new paints and varnishes were applied. Through the paint analysis and conservation treatment, the aircraft was made available for exhibition in a stable condition.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.29
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• pp.133-152
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• 2023

This study references preceding studies to examine the history of paint application techniques using various paints in the past, with the aim to contribute to the long-term preservation of large military cultural heritage assets situated outdoors. To this end, the study compared the findings of preceding research with the findings of an analysis conducted on a H-13 helicopter housed at the War Memorial of Korea. Upon collecting and analyzing samples from three grounded WWII aircraft from above-ground by preceding studies, it was confirmed from each sample that the various chemical properties of chrome ensured the effectiveness of the protective coating. The compound was first tested as a corrosion-inhibiting pigment in the early 1940s and proved its excellent moisture-resistant properties over the course of 80 years, despite the deterioration of the paint layer and long-term exposure to the natural environment. For this reason, it has been widely used as a corrosion inhibitor for aluminum alloys in the aviation industry. In other word, the most widely-used material for preventing corrosion was an organic primer containing chromate. In this study, based on the paint analysis of a H-13 helicopter operated in the Korean War, it was shown that the second layer, consisting of the primer, contains chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃). In addition, it was estimated that red lead tetraoxide (Pb₃O₄) was used for the vehicle. Analysis results and data from previous studies can help to confirm the continued effectiveness of corrosion prevention function provided by chromate. Meanwhile, the result of infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed the use of alkyd resin. In the future, comparisons with a more diverse range of artifacts will allow the identification of changes in the manufacturing technology of paints used to protect alloys from corrosion.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.144-153
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• 2022

This study conducted scientific analysis and preservation treatment for the local 7 relics (depurator bottle, eagle patten button, rank insignia, mess tin, M1 Grand-gun cleaning tool kit, Carbine bullet, cartridge) of the fallen of Korean War excavated through the MND Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification that are possessed in the exhibition hall of the Ground Operations Command. FT-IR analysis results show that remainder of depurator bottle is assumed to play a role of water and food purifier during the war for its spectrum similar to Trisodium phosphate, and inscription carved on the cartridge that is hard to observe with naked eyes was also confirmed through 3D digital shooting method. This study also established directivity of preservation treatment of relics for stable treatment by carrying out a survey of conditions based on the microscope and visual observation. The result is expected to be used as basic data for establishment of future directivity of preservation treatment for a variety of war relics.