The National Museum of Korea supports loans from its collection to other institutions in order to promote international understanding and appreciation of Korean art. Any venue seeking to borrow works must possess exhibition and storage facilities suitable for preserving and managing the loaned objects. All objects are loaned solely for public exhibition and research purposes.
Loan Requests
All loans are made in response to a written request from the borrower and are subject to a formal loan agreement.
Loan requests should be submitted in the form of an official letter at least one (1) year before the planned exhibition's opening date.
The National Museum of Korea encourages the requesting institutions to conduct preliminary research before making an official written request. The National Museum of Korea’s
online collection database
can be a useful resource for planning a loan request.
The National Museum of Korea strongly recommends informal, early contacts to discuss object selection and the possibility of loaning the object(s). Please contact Collections Management Department via email at
ybk1218@korea.kr
The information to be included in the loan request is as follows:
- Exhibition title, venue(s), and dates
- Exhibition host or organizer
- Full details of the items requested for loan – the National Museum of Korea accession number(s) must be included
- Exhibition purpose and overview, including a general description of the exhibition with its sections and themes. (A detailed description would be preferred.)
- Explanation of how the requested object(s) contribute to the proposed display context or exhibition concept
- Names and contact details of the person(s) responsible at each venue
In addition to those mentioned above, the official loan request letter should also be accompanied by the following:
- Details concerning the safety measures and management regulations to be applied to the loaned object(s)
- A facility report for each venue
Loan Review
Reviews and decisions on all loan requests will be made based on advice from relevant (curatorial and conservation) divisions.
Major considerations are as follows:
- The availability of the requested object(s) (determined by a review of the scheduled utilization of the object(s) in other exhibitions and research)
- The suitability of the object(s) for travel and display
- The relevance of the object(s) to the purpose and characteristics of the exhibition
- Safety measures are taken for the object(s)
- Expected impact of the requested loan
The requesting institutions should receive a response within six months of submitting a formal request.
* Under the relevant law, any person/institution holding cultural heritage can lend objects to overseas institutions only after obtaining permission from the South Korean government to take the cultural heritage out of the country for international cultural exchange. Even if an agreement for a loan is reached between the National Museum of Korea and the requesting institution, object(s) without the approval for loan by the South Korean government may not be loaned. Government approval for state-designated cultural properties can be granted up to three months before the date of overseas consignment or one(1) month before for undesignated portable cultural properties.
* If deemed necessary for deciding on the loan request, the National Museum of Korea may conduct a preliminary visit to the prospective borrowing institution.
Loan Expenses
The Borrower shall bear all expenses related to the loan, which may include but are not limited to:
- Packing/Crating
- Transportation, including customs clearance
- Photography for a condition report
- Insurance
- Courier(business class flights when traveling internationally with the loaned object(s), accommodation for at least three nights, per diem, etc.)
- Costs for other special arrangements, such as mounts and framing
- Other costs related to the loan as itemized in the Loan Agreement
Contact
Kyunghee Ryu
Curator
Collections Management Division
National Museum of Korea
ybk1218@korea.kr
Formal loan request letters should be addressed to:
Yoon Sung Yong
Director General
National Museum of Korea
137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu
Seoul, 04383
Republic of Korea
