"These artifacts have been carefully preserved as family treasures for a long time, but I have decided to donate them willingly so that more scholars and people can view and study them."
Kim Hye-jung, 75, the sixth-generation descendant of Beom-am Chae Je-gong (1720–1799), a politician and practical scholar renowned during the Joseon Dynasty under King Jeongjo, made this statement while donating 135 precious artifacts to Suwon City on October 11.
The artifacts donated by the descendants of Beom-am included the national-designated portrait of the scholar himself as well as handwritten documents from King Jeongjo, among other invaluable materials that illuminate the politics, society, and daily life of that era.
Prior to this, the descendants of Sa-un Yi Jong-hak (1757–1838), a bibliographer and lifelong guardian of Dokdo, donated 19,836 items in January 2004, including rare books, historical records, maps, and photographs collected by the scholar to Suwon City.
Additionally, Geun-dang Yang Taek-dong, a calligrapher, donated approximately 6,000 representative works of calligraphy and painting by major artists from the mid-Joseon Dynasty to modern times. The Sangju Park Clan also donated two portraits of Sang-won-gun Park Wi-myeong (1582–1640).
In recent years, a total of approximately 25,000 artifacts have been donated to Suwon City, including some items of treasure grade, as well as a considerable number of historical records and books whose value is difficult to estimate.
It is considered exceptional that so many artifacts have been donated to a local government entity, excluding the National Museum of Korea, a leading museum in the country.
This was made possible through the extraordinary efforts of curators and researchers from Suwon City Hall, who visited donors repeatedly over more than a year, promising that "permanent preservation of precious artifacts is accomplished through donation, and Suwon City will maintain their highest value."
The donors, who selflessly donated artifacts worth hundreds of millions of won to the city, unanimously stated, "We believed that the proper path was for more people to share culturally valuable heritage and preserve it well for future generations."
To keep its promise to the donors, Suwon City is constructing the Suwon History Museum with a budget of 20.6 billion won on a 12,000-pyeong site in Uiui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Suwon, to display and preserve these artifacts.
Dr. Yi Dal-ho, 52, a curator and researcher at City Hall, stated, "We express our gratitude to the donors who generously contributed these precious cultural heritage items to the city, and we will make efforts to widely publicize the historical value of these artifacts and preserve them carefully in accordance with the donors' intentions."
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