The National Museum Foundation of Korea announced that it will unveil "Daedongyeojido Scroll Special Edition," a museum cultural product (MU:DS) that reproduces the cultural heritage "Daedongyeojido," held by the National Museum of Korea, in traditional hanji paper and silk, on Tuesday.
"Daedongyeojido" is a representative nationwide map of the late Joseon Dynasty created by Gosanja Kim Jeong-ho in 1861, a cultural heritage that shows the essence of the era's mapmaking technology. It systematically contains national territorial information including mountain ranges, waterways, and road networks in 10-ri units, and consists of a total of 22 volumes. When fully unfolded, it measures approximately 6.7 meters in length and 3.8 meters in width, and is currently on permanent display at the "Road of History" on the first floor of the permanent exhibition hall at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
The foundation planned the product in scroll form so that the scale and aesthetic beauty of "Daedongyeojido" could be appreciated more closely. This special edition was produced by printing the lines, topography, and geographic information of the original map on traditional hanji paper and applying silk backing and colored paper decorations. In particular, it reproduces the appearance of the original with all 22 volumes unfolded at approximately one-seventh the scale, capturing the cultural heritage value and characteristics of "Daedongyeojido" in their original form.
This product was created drawing inspiration from traditional methods of preserving recorded culture. In the past, precious paintings, calligraphy, and records were mounted as scrolls or wrapped in silk for storage and passed down to future generations. The foundation reflected this traditional context in the product and packaging design, adding meaning to the act of owning cultural heritage.
In addition, the same unique number was assigned to each product and its packaging, enhancing its symbolism as a limited-edition collectible. In particular, the No. 1 product was presented to RM (real name Kim Nam-joon), leader of the group BTS, who was appointed as a global publicity ambassador for the National Museum of Korea on the 19th, adding marketability ahead of the launch.
In addition to this scroll, the foundation plans to sequentially unveil various cultural products using "Daedongyeojido," including stickers, folding-screen postcards, name tags, mini notebooks, leather key rings, and hanji postcards. Through this, it plans to expand opportunities for visitors to encounter Korean cultural heritage more familiarly in daily life.
"Daedongyeojido Scroll Special Edition" begins online pre-orders on Tuesday, with sequential shipping starting July 8. From the same date, it can also be purchased at the National Museum of Korea's product shop. Products other than the scroll are scheduled to be released sequentially after mid-July.
