The Role of Museum for Intangible Heritage Preservation in Korea

The Role of Museum for Intangible Heritage Preservation in Korea

I would like to discuss about the relation between museum and the preservation system of intangible heritage related to the traditional craft arts in Korea. Korea has managed the most creditable preseπation system of intangible heritage in the world. It was the model when UNESCO designed “Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" in 1997. The Scope of intangible heritage is very broad. It is often difficult to dec?de what to preseπe because it varies in accordance with what point of view to take. In Korea, Cultural Heritage Preservation Act defines intangible heritage as “drama, music, dance, and craft skills etc. that are the outcomes of the intangible culture and have historical, artistic, and acadernic values". According to the Act, types of intangible heritage are classified into two categories that are, perfoffiling arts and craft arts. The preservation system of intangible heritage in Korea focuses on the support of those who have the traditional skills worthy to preserve . The governmental supports help them to maintain skills and hand over them to their successors. However, this system has nothing to do with museum. Museum has related to the tangible moving heritage while the ethnography museums collect instruments, costumes and craft items that had been made or used by the predecessors. In such museums most secrets of the traditional skills are hidden in the tangible objects. Fortunately there is a living history of the traditional craft skills in Korea. It is the national and regional intangible heritages. Museum has developed methods to conserve the tangible past. How museum can help preserve the living intangible history? In order to preserve the traditional craft skills, museum has to transfer the tacit knowledge that masters have obtained through the long experiences into the explicit knowledge. For examples, that is how to get and treat raw materials, how to make and use tools, how to design and create