National Museum of Korean Contemporary History

What National Museum of Korean Contemporary History does

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History (대한민국역사박물관) is a government-operated national museum located at Sejong-daero 198, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Established in 2012 under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (문화체육관광부), it is the only national institution dedicated exclusively to documenting and exhibiting Korean history from the late 19th century to the present. It serves the general Korean public, students, academic researchers, and international visitors through free admission, exhibitions, educational programs, and digital archive access. The museum operates daily from 10:00 to 18:00 (extended to 21:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays) and is closed on New Year's Day, Lunar New Year's Day, and Chuseok.

The museum's core offerings include the Modern History Archive (근현대사 아카이브), a digital archive system at archive.much.go.kr housing primary historical materials, oral history videos, independence movement records, and thematic collections; the Living Contemporary History (움직이는 현대사) video archive for moving-image historical content; and an Online Museum (온라인 박물관) with digital exhibition sketches and web content. Distribution infrastructure spans a multilingual website (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese), RSS feeds, and active social media channels across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Naver Blog/TV, and Twitter/X. The museum also operates the Modern History Museum Cooperation Network (근현대사박물관 협력망), connecting the national institution with regional modern history museums across South Korea. Operational infrastructure includes 103 internal CCTV cameras and 20 external cameras with 24-hour recording and 30-day retention.

As a government state entity, the museum operates entirely on public funding from the South Korean national budget with no commercial revenue streams. Admission is free for all visitors, and no ticketing, merchandise sales, or paid services are offered. The institution has secured several quality certifications, including the 2024 Public Data Quality Certification (PDQC) highest grade, the WA Web Accessibility Quality Certification (September 2023–September 2024), and compliance with Korea's Personal Information Protection Act. It applies the KOGL open content licensing system across four tiers, reflecting a public-domain-oriented content distribution model rather than a proprietary IP strategy. With 17 reported employees, the museum's compact tracked staff reflects its institutional rather than commercial operating posture, supported by public funding rather than market revenue.

Name

National Museum of Korean Contemporary History

Legal name

National Museum of Korean Contemporary History (대한민국역사박물관)

Website

https://much.go.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History is a South Korean government museum under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, offering free exhibitions, educational programs, and a digital Modern History Archive documenting Korean history from the late 19th century to the present.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120), Historical Sites (71212), Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Modern history museum
• Digital historical archive
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Educational programs
• Public exhibition services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government-funded public museum operations: As a government institution under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the museum operates entirely on public funding. Admission is free. No commercial revenue streams are pursued.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History is a government-operated national museum that preserves, manages, and exhibits materials documenting Korean history from the late 19th century to the present. It provides free physical exhibitions in Seoul and a suite of digital services including a Modern History Archive portal, an online film archive, an Online Museum platform, and seasonal education programs for children and adults.

Product overview

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History operates as a government museum under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, offering free admission to the public. The institution provides a unified platform of physical and digital services centered on its core exhibitions, supplemented by the Modern History Archive (근현대사 아카이브) for historical materials, the Living Contemporary History (움직이는 현대사) film archive, and an Online Museum (온라인 박물관) for virtual access. Additional offerings include education programs and a regional museum cooperation network. The museum is located at Sejong-daero 198, Jongno-gu, Seoul, with operating hours 10:00-18:00 (extended to 21:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Modern History Archive (근현대사 아카이브)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Museum of Chinese History / National Museum of China: China's national museum in Beijing covering Chinese history with significant modern and contemporary sections. Comparable as an East Asian national museum focused on comprehensive historical narrative including modern period.
• National Museum of Korea: Korea's flagship national museum located in Seoul, also under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Directly comparable as a government-operated national museum offering free admission, physical exhibitions, and digital collections to the Korean public.
• National Museum of American History (Smithsonian): Smithsonian museum dedicated to American social, political, cultural, and military history from the colonial period to the present. Directly comparable as a national museum covering modern/contemporary history with extensive digital archives.
• Imperial War Museum London: UK national museum organization covering conflicts from World War I to the present, with extensive archives, oral histories, and digital collections. Comparable as a government-funded museum with a focus on modern history, primary source archives, and educational programming.
• National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA): Korean national museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art under the same ministry. Comparable as a government-backed national cultural institution in Seoul providing free admission, exhibitions, and digital programming.
• War Memorial of Korea: Korean national military history museum in Seoul covering modern and contemporary military history. Comparable as a government-operated national museum focused on modern Korean history with free admission.
• Musée d'Histoire Contemporaine (Paris): French national museum dedicated to contemporary history since 1789, located at the Hôtel National des Invalides. Comparable as a government-funded museum focused specifically on modern/contemporary history with archives and educational programs.
• Independence Hall of Korea: Korean national museum focused on the modern independence movement and contemporary Korean history. Directly comparable as a government-operated institution dedicated to modern Korean historical themes.
• Deutsches Historisches Museum: Germany's national historical museum in Berlin covering German history from the Middle Ages to the present. Comparable as a government-funded national history museum with modern/contemporary focus, free admission, and a digital archive.

Emerging players

• National WWII Museum (New Orleans): US museum dedicated to the American experience in World War II, with extensive digital archives and educational programming. Comparable in its dedicated focus on a defined modern historical period, archive-based educational mission, and multi-channel digital distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/much_korea
• YouTubeyoutube.com/muchkorea
• Facebookfacebook.com/much.korea
• Instagraminstagram.com/much_korea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-museum-of-korean-contemporary-history

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Museum of Korean Contemporary History