Chuncheon National Museum’s special exhibition foundered

The Chuncheon National Museum became involved in an untimely “Yemaek controversy.” After completing the remodeling of the permanent exhibition, a special exhibition on the Yemaek tribe that was planned to be held during the latter half of this year has been foundered all of the sudden. Yemaek tribe refers to a tribe that assumed to have resided in the middle and northern part of ancient Korean Peninsula and Manchuria.

“We have decided to postpone the special exhibition of ‘the middle path culture and the Yemaek tribe of Gangwon Province’ in consideration of regionalism,” said Chuncheon National Museum director Kim Sang-tae Wednesday. “However, we will proceed with the related symposium on schedule.”

The museum has been preparing this exhibition enthusiastically by scouting visiting scholars from the outside to collect information on the middle path culture of Chuncheon but reached a deadlock.

Accordingly, the Chuncheon National Museum decided to add records of Yemaek tribe that is mentioned in fragments in some historical records to panels in the exhibition. The museum will not be accepting the regional community’s request to discard books.

Some point out that this incident could serve as an opportunity to realize the need for an in depth discussion on the former inhabitants of Gangwon Province and the creation of the nation. “It is more productive to deal with disputes over Yemaek tribe at open academic discussions rather than going through emotional disputes,” said a scholar.

Sang-Un Kim sukim@donga.com