Visit to the Bank of Korea (BOK)

Back from Korea, i would like to share with you one of my experience in the country of the calm morning (that we should call in reality "Fresh morning"). It was my professional interest as well as my personal interest in asiatics coins which are rare on our french numismatic market, so that lead me directly to the Bank of Korea (BOK) museum of Seoul.

This museum is currently in a building whose construction began in 1907, under the japenese occupation. The edifice, designed by Tatsuno Kingo, japenese architect, shows a style swayed by european architectural styles as the neogothic style of Wiliam Burges as well as the french neoclassical style.

The displays, inside the museum since 2001, are partly devoted to the story of the BOK. The displays offer the visitor, whether they are an adult or a child, korean or english-speaking, a well-informed exhibition, that is interactive and playful. It is possible to learn more about the history of bank which was established in 1950 even though the country was under civil war. The museum also shows the different currency reforms which lead to the stability of the Korea.

We also learn the role of the many administratives functions of the bank such as governors who succeeded each other in this establishement (opposite picture show the name and signature of these main governors).

The visitor can also recognize the banker insignia of the BOK.

The next part concerns the banknotes, counterfeit and draft. You can learn and inquire about how to tell the difference between the genuine and counterfeit, what are the life steps of a banknote. It is interesting to know that the main payment method used by the south koreans are banknotes just as much as debit cards, who are mainly used by instant contact and secured with a signature on electronic device.

As banknotes are the most frequently used currency, the bank raises awareness of the way to respect banknotes in order to increase their lifespan while explaining the recycling methods and their use.

The museum presents in an other part the history of asiatic coins : chinese, japenese and korean. The presented coins are not as well as we could expected but there is many differents chinese type as these ones : weight units Liang, Zhu, Quan or circulating treasure Tong Bao and Zhong Bao. But what we are the most interested by is at the end of the exhibition : korean coins from the beginning until today.

The first korean coin, according to historical records, is an iron money named Jamojeon issued in 957 BC, during the Gojoseon period. Many differents types of coins exist like in China and they are used in both countries, depending of the period. The following pictures show you the coins that you can see at the currency museum of the BOK of Seoul. They are from the Goryo period and the Joseon period

The last picture represent a special korean coin : a key charm which is used as a bridal marriage article among the gentry. It was hung in the wardrobe as a talisman to bring prosperity, luck, harmony, long life, health, and all the good things that a young couple would desire. It is what they called a Byeol Jeon, which appeared around the reign of King Gojeon of Joseon period.