The National Hangeul Museum will remain shuttered for more than three years following a devastating fire that severely damaged the building earlier this year, with officials announcing Tuesday that the facility dedicated to Korea's unique writing system will not reopen until late October 2028. The museum, which serves as the primary institution for promoting and preserving the Korean alphabet known as Hangeul, must undergo extensive restoration work before it can welcome visitors again.
The destructive blaze erupted on February 1 during ongoing construction work aimed at expanding the museum's educational spaces and office areas. A preliminary damage assessment report submitted to Representative Jin Jong-oh of the main opposition People Power Party revealed widespread destruction throughout the building, with the third floor suffering the most severe damage. The fire is believed to have been sparked during construction work near a steel staircase within the facility.
The flames completely destroyed a Hangeul-themed children's playground and an entire hallway section, while a special exhibition hall sustained significant damage from intense heat, dust, and soot contamination. During the emergency response, two construction workers required rescue operations, while four additional workers were safely evacuated from the building. One firefighter sustained injuries during the firefighting efforts to extinguish the blaze.
In the immediate aftermath of the fire, museum staff worked urgently to protect the institution's invaluable collection, initially moving 26 of the most important artifacts to the nearby National Museum of Korea to prevent further damage. The museum later undertook a massive relocation effort, transferring its entire collection of more than 25,900 individual items, totaling approximately 90,000 artifacts, to other national museums across the country for safekeeping during the restoration period.
While museum officials confirmed that the artifacts themselves were not damaged by the fire, some areas of the building did suffer water damage, including portions of a first-floor hallway and both the ceiling and floor of a storage room. The extent of the structural damage necessitates comprehensive restoration work that will keep the museum closed for an extended period.
"I am sorry to the public for the long-term closure which has become unavoidable due to the fire restoration work," Museum Director Kang Jeong-won stated during a press conference on Tuesday. He assured the public that despite the physical closure, the museum would continue its essential research and educational functions throughout the restoration period and promised that officials would ensure the restoration process proceeds without any complications or delays.
