Gender perspectives in Korean museums

Gender representation has not been a serious subject of consideration in Korean museums, with wide disparities evident in the exhibition contents and displays depending on each institution’s initiative or agenda. This paper focuses on three museums that have led the feminist discourse in a country that had been dominated by patriarchal values for centuries, namely the National Women’s History Exhibition Hall, the Haenyeo Museum, and the War \& Women’s Human Rights Museum. These museums have been at the forefront in integrating feminists’ perspectives into the realms of historical narrative, intangible cultural heritage, and colonial legacy. While the private sector is responding to market needs, greater gender-consciousness is called for in the mainstream institutions.