Bank of Korea Money Museum facts for kids
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| Established | June 13, 2001 |
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| Location | 39, Namdaemunno, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea |
| Type | Economics and Numismatics |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Hanguk Eunhaeng Hwapye Bangmulgwan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Han'guk ŭnhaeng Hwap'ye Pangmulgwan |
The Bank of Korea Money Museum (Hangul: 한국은행 화폐박물관) is a cool place in Seoul, South Korea. It teaches you all about money and how it works! The museum was opened in 2001 by the Bank of Korea, which is like the main bank of the country.
You can find the museum at 39, Namdaemunno, in the Jung-gu area of Seoul. The museum is inside a very old and special building. This building was built in 1912 and used to be the main office for the Bank of Korea itself.
Discovering the Museum Building
A Look at Its Past
The building where the museum is now was once the main office for the Bank of Korea (Hangul: 한국은행 본관; Hanja: 韓國銀行本館). It's a very important historical place, marked as National Historic Site No. 280 in 1981.
The building was first planned to be a branch office for another bank called the Dai-Ichi Bank. A famous Japanese architect named Tatsuno Kingo designed it. He also designed the famous Tokyo Station and the Bank of Japan building in Tokyo.
Building work started in November 1907. But during construction, the plans changed! When it was finished in January 1912, it became the main office for the Bank of Chosen. This was the central bank of Korea when Japan ruled the country.
After Korea became free from Japanese rule in 1945, the Bank of Chosen closed. A new bank, the Bank of Korea, was started on June 12, 1950. This new bank became the central bank for South Korea. The building stayed as the main office for this new bank.
During the Korean War, the building was badly damaged by air attacks. But it was fixed up between May 1956 and October 1958.
The building continued to be the main office for the Bank of Korea until 1987. That year, the bank moved its work to a new building behind the old one. From 1987 to 1989, the outside of the old building was made to look like its original design. The inside was changed a bit, with marble replacing some plaster.
The last Bank of Korea office left the building in December 2000. Then, the building was changed into the Bank of Korea Money Museum. It opened its doors on June 13, 2001.
How the Building Looks
The museum building has a special design from the early 1900s. It mixes different styles, looking a bit like a French chateau (a large country house) and French Renaissance buildings.
It's a big building, covering 8703.5 square meters. It has a balanced look, with both sides matching. The building is mostly made of concrete and steel. But its outer walls are completely covered in granite stone. This stone came from outside the Heunginjimun Gate in Seoul.
The main entrance sticks out a lot from the front of the building. It has four large columns that support it, making space for cars. Three of the four corners of the building have tall towers with round tops and decorative points.
The bottom part of the building's front has horizontal lines made from granite blocks that stick out. The top part is decorated with detailed triangular shapes, a dark border, and railings. There are also flat columns called Pilasters. Each one has a granite carving of a shield.
See also
In Spanish: Museo del Banco de Corea para niños
- List of museums in Seoul
- List of museums in South Korea
- Bank of Korea
