A private museum called "Daehan (KOREA) Museum," which pushed an exhibition focused on Chinese artifacts contrary to its name in Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, has been reported to police.
Moon Seong-ho, a Seoul Metropolitan Council member from the People Power Party, said on the 23rd that he reported the Daehan Museum's operating entity and corporate representative to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on suspicion of violating the Building Act, the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising, and the Museum and Art Gallery Support Act.
In the complaint, Moon wrote, "The Daehan Museum is forcing operations illegally by installing exhibits without obtaining the required change-of-use permit under the Building Act."
Under the current Building Act, museums are classified as "cultural and assembly facilities," but this building is classified as a "Type-2 neighborhood living facility," so it cannot run a museum exhibition business.
Moon added, "Even though the exhibits focus on Chinese ancient history and Southern Buddhism artifacts, they are deceiving visitors by using the location of Eunpyeong Hanok Village and the name 'Daehan (Korea) Museum,'" arguing this constitutes a violation of the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising.
He also raised a charge of violating the Museum Act, saying, "Despite being an unregistered facility without proper museum registration, it includes 'museum' in its official name, causing ordinary citizens to mistake it for a credible public or registered private museum."
Moon said, "I wondered how, in the heart of Seoul—and in Eunpyeong Hanok Village at that—something bearing the name 'Korea' could be promoting China," adding, "When I pulled all the legal documents, including the certified registry, many illegalities stood out," explaining the reason for the complaint.
Eunpyeong District Chief Kim Mi-kyung also said the day before on social media (SNS) that the district would respond to the Daehan Museum issue. (☞ [Field report] It said "Daehan Museum," but it's packed with Chinese history… Eunpyeong Hanok Village in an uproar)
Kim said, "This facility (Daehan Museum) is an 'unregistered private museum,'" and added, "Eunpyeong District promises to respond firmly and lawfully in accordance with procedure, mobilizing all available legal means."