Finding Her Story
상태바
Finding Her Story
  • Park Kim Injin / Reporter
  • 승인 2010.10.06 14:47
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The image above is an artwork of Chung Young Yang, which is exhibited in the SMU Museum.  Embroidery has lived with women through history and it has been changing over time.  However, the spirit of women and ethnic heritage reflected by those beautiful artworks are invariant.

 

History, So-called His-story

The memorial halls or gravestone constructions are already being done and placed as sanctuaries for male historical figures but contrary, most of the written documents and ruins of women are gone and moreover guidance and explanations are not well prepared even for the registered women’s cultural heritages.  This shows the carelessness of the administration for women cultural heritages and only a few people visit due to the lack of information and facilities.   The main problem is that the policymakers of cultural assets have no concern in women’s cultural heritage and the women’s studies scholars are not attracted to cultural assets[1].   

 

Stories Not Being Told

People might think that women

People might think that women’s cultural heritage is maintaining a high preservation and administration as about 60 percent of them are registered cultural heritages.   However, 50 percent of these registered women cultural heritages are the Royal remains only.   This indicates that the management and administration of women’s cultural heritages are rather neglected.   The main problem is that the policymakers of cultural assets have no concern for women’s cultural heritages and the women’s studies scholars are not attracted to cultural assets[2].  Regarding this problem, the voices are shouting for the need of government’s cooperation as well as citizens’ voluntary participation and conservation, in order to preserve recent disappearance of women’s cultural heritages.   The group called Women’s Cultural Heritage Research Society is actively leading in this area to find the forgotten history of women through several exploratory activities since 2004 when it was launched[3].   

 

 

 

The Voices Shouting For Her Story

  

The Women Cultural Heritage Research Society held the third Women History Forum last November 13th at the NGO Center in Daebangdong Seoul Women Plaza with heritages and history related experts attending.   The need of women's cultural heritage preservation and the example cases were presented to discuss about more specific alternatives for women’s cultural heritage disappearance[4].  Women’s cultural heritage commentator Choi Sunkyung stated, “The countermeasures and preparation are definitely needed to put abundant stories of women’s cultural heritages into the practical use to the highest degree as a cultural resource.  ” The SMU History and Culture Studies professor Han Hee-suk stated, “Even though women took a big part of carrying on a history, only a few of them and their cultural heritages are recognized due to the hierarchy and male-dominated society.   Therefore, we need to protect and preserve disappearing women’s cultural heritage which reflects our mothers’ lives and history.  ” She made known the appropriateness of women’s cultural heritage preservation and also added, “The overall research is required to understand the actual condition of the Women Cultural Heritages to widen people’s realization and bonds of thinking of the Women Cultural Heritage preservation.    Moreover, national policy and government support is needed.   From tiny household goods to major facilities including houses, all the heritages with concern of loss are required for the systematic study after an investigation of heritage.  ” Moreover, she said the local cultural research institutions, woman historians and cultural asset experts need to progress the joint research.   Preserving women’s relics is definitely not an easy job and therefore many efforts are needed.   Of course, there are numerous people, shouting out for the preservation but most of them are not putting themselves into action.    Not so many people are interested, and moreover, there are not enough information and introduction to draw public attention.   Therefore, putting up proper notices and signs for the visitors and verifying cultural tour industrialization (OSMU: One Source Multi Use) by setting women historical figures and stories as the contents of musicals, plays, festivals, and dances, establishing museums, memorial halls, statues, women history expert research institute and developing different kinds of Her-story tour program for citizens are desperately needed.   

 

 

 

 

Royal Relics, Women, and Sookmyung

Our campus, SMU is also contributing to save and preserve our mothersvoices and stories.   SMU Museum was opened in 1971 with the purpose of collecting, exhibiting and researching materials, especially the ones in life histories of Korean Women and general folklore domains.   As SMU continued its effort in collecting and preserving historic relics especially the women related relics, many donations were given to SMU museum.   The donated relics are exhibited together in SMU Museum[5].  The SMU Museum started with 300 collections including 200 folklore remains, 30 old paintings and writings, and women related historical materials.   At present, the number increased to 618 traditional metal wares, 826 ceramic potteries, 970 wooden wares, 588 rubbings, 204 jade wares, 786 leather wares and about 40 more others, total about 4000 cultural heritages are collected in our museum[6].  The treasured registered cultural heritages are also included in those numbers.   The conservation is very important step in preserving relics and the conservator Lee Hyun-sook has taken the job over for our museum.   The preventive conservation includes activities such as preventing pests and monitoring temperature, humidity and light in the museum galleries and storage areas.    This type of conservation helps to slow down rates of deterioration[7].  Under her careful work, the royal heritages of empresses including the empress Sunheon, is exhibited with excellent preservation condition in our campus museum.   To let all the people know about the veiled mothers’ history, the SMU holds the exhibition free for everyone.   Maybe our campus itself is the cultural heritage of Queen Sunheon as she built the very first women’s university, SMU, to encourage women education.   As Sookmyungians, be proud and exert ourselves in women’s cultural heritage preservation.   

 

 

 

Diamonds Sparkling Under the History

The women’s cultural heritage is not an outdated history in the past but the origin source of creation and cultural industry to enrich our history and culture and also equality between genders[8].  The growing of general public attention is needed in order to gain more support from the government and organizations to preserve our mothers’ stories.   As citizens of the Republic of Korea, to preserve the other part of our national inherent history, remember that behind the history there have always been our mothers’ voices sparkling like numerous diamonds. 

  

Just By Your Side

What can WE do to help preserving our mothers’ voices One of the most important suggested solutions to this problem was the increase of public concern and attention toward women’s cultural heritages.  Let SMT introduce few women’s cultural heritages and its historical sites around us for Sookmyungians to visit.

The Story of Queen Myeongsung

Near Danggogae subway station on line number four, you can visit Yong Gul-am, the Queen Myeongsung’s harbor when Imogunran occurred.  There are many different ways to go but the way from Danggoogae subway station is the way actually Queen Myeongsung stepped on while she was fleeing to Yonggulam.  Queen Myeongsung was going to her parent’s house to escape from the harm and changed direction to the Yong Gul-am in Surak Mountain and hid for seven days[9].

 

 

 

 

The Story of the Patriotic Martyr, Yoo Kwan Soon

 

There are many different historic sites of Yoo Kwan Soon.  The Yoo Kwan Soon remembrance temple, Yoo Kwan Soon’s birth place and her grave of soul is located in Chungchungnamdo Cheonan.  There are two Yoo Kwan Soon memorial halls, one is located in Seoul Junggu Jeongdong  Ehwa Girls’ High school and another one is located in Chungchungnamdo Cheonan.  Ehwa Girls’ High School was where Yoo Kwan Soon patriotic martyr attended.  Ehwa Girl’s High school preserved and exhibited her statue, pictures, and keepsakes in the memorial hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Story of Princess Jung-u

 

Princess Jung-u was the daughter of King Saejong.  She was very clever and agile so King Saejong loved her very much.  Even after she left the palace to be married, her father King Saejong named her four sons himself and showed her special love toward her.  The royal tomb of princess Jung-u is located in Dobong gu, Bang-hak dong, Seoul, near the royal tomb of Yeonsangun.  As princess Jung-u received special love from King Saejong, her tomb is very big and wide, no less than the kings’ royal tombs[10].

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sookmyug Women’s University Museum

 

SMU also possesses women relics and they are exhibited in the SMU museum located in the Renaissance Plaza.  The SMU Museum is open every weekday and Saturday from 10AM to 5PM.  

 

 

 

 

[1] Kim Hee Soo Blog Reporter, Preserving Women Cultural Heritage, related organization, general public, government all together need to take action now, 2009.11.16, Seoul Women Foundation

[2] Same as the [1]

[3] Choi Haewon, Private and government cooperation to preserve Women Cultural Heritage, Women News, 2009.11.20

[4] Choi Haewon, Private and government cooperation to preserve Women Cultural Heritage, Women News, 2009.11.20
[5] Baek Jinyeop, SMU receiving Daehan Empire Royal Relics, Money Today, 2010.05.04
[6] Sookmyung Women’s University Museum
[7] Sookmyung Women’s University Museum
[8] Choi Haewon Reporter Private and government cooperation to preserve Women Cultural Heritage Women News 2009.11.20
[9] Park Guem Ok Reporter The mountain must be deep as her heart OhmyNews 2010.05.31
[10]  『Let’s walk Seoul with eyes of women_to find the Jung-u Princess’ tomb』, Seoul Women Foundation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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