Seven Consecutive Years of Project Implementation Since 2020—Establishing a Systematic Framework for Organizing Unprocessed Artifacts and Supporting Academic Research

Recognized for Outstanding Achievements with a Grand Prize and a Korea Heritage Service Commissioner’s Award for a Museum Researcher

Project to Continue for Another Two Years, Further Expanding the Preservation and Utilization of Buried Cultural Heritage

[July 15, 2026]

<Exhibition Posters for Yeungnam University Museum’s “Project for the Preservation and Utilization of Unprocessed Artifacts from Buried Cultural Heritage” (2022 and 2025)>

The Yeungnam University Museum, under the leadership of President CHOI Oe-chool, continues to achieve significant results in the preservation and utilization of excavated archaeological heritage through the “2026 Project for the Preservation and Utilization of Unprocessed Artifacts from Buried Cultural Heritage.”

 The Yeungnam University Museum, headed by Director LEE Eun-jung, has participated in the “Project for the Preservation and Utilization of Unprocessed Artifacts from Buried Cultural Heritage,” supported by the Korea Heritage Service and organized by the Korean Association of University Museums, for seven consecutive years from 2020 through 2026. The project aims to systematically organize, document, and preserve artifacts that remained unprocessed for an extended period following the excavation of the Imdang-dong and Joyeong-dong ancient tomb complexes in the 1980s, and to utilize them as resources for academic research, exhibitions, and education.

<Preparing for a special exhibition (left), scenes from the 2025 special exhibition “After a Long Wait, Out of the Storage” (right)>

 Through the project, the Yeungnam University Museum has secured approximately KRW 900 million in project funding and organized 1,628 cases comprising 2,199 artifacts. Of these, 1,223 cases comprising 1,456 artifacts have proceeded through national ownership attribution and transfer procedures. In 2026, the museum is currently processing approximately 600 additional artifacts.

<Excavation Investigation Reports on Unprocessed Artifacts at Yeungnam University Museum (2021, 2024, and 2025)>

 In addition, the museum has published three excavation investigation reports on the unprocessed artifacts, establishing a foundation for academically organizing and making available investigation records that had remained unpublished for an extended period. This has contributed to enabling not only researchers but also the general public to access and utilize information on buried cultural heritage, while also playing an important role in the systematic management of national heritage.

 The research outcomes have also been presented to the public through two exhibitions: Adding Tombs to Tombs (2022) and After a Long Wait, Out of the Storage (a joint exhibition involving 10 universities, 2025). Through these exhibitions, the museum shared the processes and achievements involved in organizing the unprocessed artifacts and communicated their historical and cultural value to the public through hands-on programs, providing opportunities to deepen public understanding of cultural heritage. 

<Exhibition-related programs “Visible Conservation Lab” (left) and “Curators’ Gallery Talk” (right)> 

 The project has also produced meaningful results in terms of professional training and youth employment, as some participants who gained practical experience in artifact organization, conservation treatment, and documentation have gone on to pursue careers at cultural heritage-related institutions.

 As a result of producing diverse outcomes each year, the Yeungnam University Museum received the Grand Prize in the 2025 Project for the Preservation and Utilization of Unprocessed Artifacts from Buried Cultural Heritage. MO Yeo-ra Researcher of the Yeungnam University Museum was also honored with a Commissioner’s Award from the Korea Heritage Service in recognition of contributions to translating the project’s achievements into a special exhibition.

 The project is scheduled to continue for another two years, and the Yeungnam University Museum plans to further expand the systematic management and utilization of buried cultural heritage based on the experience and expertise accumulated through the project.

 Director LEE Eun-jung of the Yeungnam University Museum said, “The Project for the Preservation and Utilization of Unprocessed Artifacts from Buried Cultural Heritage has enabled us to address a longstanding challenge of our museum. For the remainder of the project period, we will continue to do our utmost to reconstruct the ancient society of Apdok Kingdom in Gyeongsan, particularly in areas where progress has been insufficient.”