`Cheongjajeong` unveiled at museum

A small pavilion named "Cheongjajeong," built above Geowul pond inside the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul to celebrate the centennial anniversary of Korean museums, was unveiled yesterday.

Yesterday marked the 100th year since "Jesil Bakmulgwan," or Imperial Museum, which is considered Korea`s first modern museum, was open to the public for the first time on Nov. 1, 1909.

About 100 participants including Choe Kwang-shik, director of the National Museum of Korea and Kim Yang-dong, professor at Keimyeong University who wrote the letters on pavilion`s signboard, attended the unveiling ceremony.



The notable part about the pavilion is that Cheongja, or blue celadon, is covered on its roof like some used to be in Goryeo Dynasty.

"Blue celadon is the essence of Korean culture. I hope Cheongjajeong will become the symbol of the museum like the glass pyramid is for the Louvre Museum in Paris," said Choe.

The pavilion was donated to the museum by the "Young Friends of the Museum" committee which is comprised of businessmen and political figures like Yun Seok-min, president of the committee and vice president of SBSi and Rep. Hong Jung-wook of the Grand National Party who is also the committee`s vice president.

The title of the pavilion, meaning "blue celadon-roof tile pavillion" was chosen through a nationwide competition. The winner Cha Ye-rin was awarded at the ceremony.

(claire@heraldm.com)



By Park Min-young