Taegeukgi Time

In my last 2 weeks in Korea, I am trying to visit some of the places where I've never quite managed to go. So, on a recent rainy morning I stopped into the National Museum of Korea. I had heard that the museum was Korea's version of the Smithsonian mixed with the Met.
In the main hallway, I found an impressive ten story pagoda. Many Korean couples snapped photos of themselves with the pagoda in the background. Ah, young love in Korea! :)
I particularly wanted to visit the museum this August, as the museum has scheduled a special exhibit to commemorate the 60Th Anniversary of the Republic of Korea. The exhibit is called "Symbol of Korea, Taegeukgi." The Taegeuk is the red and blue swirl symbol, which can also be called the "Supreme Ultimate Pattern," and looks to the under-educated Western eye a little like the yin-yang symbol surrounded by four matching patterns. The current exhibit of Taegeukgi flags and artifacts runs until November 19, 2008. The exhibit fills one of the museums halls, and there is some English language signage. I definitely came away from it having learned that the symbol goes much farther back in Korean history than I'd realized. The national flag of the Joseon dynasty , which was declared on 3/6/83, bore the symbol.
The Museum offers another major exhibit hall (which is now showing art and artifacts of ancient Persia), several halls of Korean historical documents, and an interesting historical map room. The higher floors feature art from other Asian countries, they are not the largest collections I've ever seen, but there are a few nice pieces. For me a room of sculptures and furniture acquired from Myanmar (Burma) by a Japanese collector stood out. If you are a history buff, the National Museum of Korea is an interesting way to spend three or four hours.