New director for National Folk Museum of Korea announced by Culture Ministry

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Tuesday it will appoint Jang Sang-hoon as the new director of the National Folk Museum of Korea, located in Jongno District, central Seoul.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon, left, appoints Jang Sang-hoon as the new director of the National Folk Museum of Korea at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Tuesday it will appoint Jang Sang-hoon as the new director of the National Folk Museum of Korea, located in Jongno District, central Seoul.

Jang was previously the director of the Jinju National Museum, located in Jinju, South Gyeongsang.

Jang also formerly served as the exhibition manager of the National Museum of Korea, located in Yongsan District, central Seoul, as well as the manager of the children’s exhibit at the same museum.

National Folk Museum of Korea [NATIONAL FOLK MUSEUM OF KOREA]

Jang graduated from Sogang University with a history degree and successfully pursued a Museum Studies doctorate from the University of Leicester in Britain. He is also currently the president of the Korean Research Association of Old Maps.

The Culture Ministry announced plans to relocate the National Folk Museum of Korea to Sejong City, the administrative capital of Korea, last March. Jang supervised the relocation of Jinju National Museum that has been underway since 2019.

“Jang has specialized in the history of Korean museums, and has deep expertise in the museum field,” said Culture Minister Yu In-chon. “Jang’s experience in promoting the relocation project for the Jinju National Museum makes him the right person to lead the relocation of the National Folk Museum of Korea to Sejong.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]