The Korea Association of Constituent National Assembly Members' Bereaved Families and the National Assembly Archives signed a memorandum of understanding Monday at the Constituent National Assembly Exhibition Hall on Jahamun-ro in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The signing was accompanied by the appointment of association Chairman Yoon In-gu as a promotional ambassador for the archives.
The MOU aims to systematically document the legislative achievements and records of the Constituent National Assembly — the founding body of South Korea's constitutional order — and to raise public awareness of their historical significance. The archives announced in July that, with the association's cooperation, it had collected 539 related documents stored at Jeheon Hall.
The two organizations plan to work closely together on collecting, preserving and making use of Constituent National Assembly records, and will jointly develop exhibition and promotional content for the exhibition hall to highlight the assembly's legacy and the contributions of its members. They also agreed to plan and prepare events marking the 80th anniversary of the Constituent National Assembly's opening in 2028.
Yoon, a grandson of Constituent Assembly member Yoon Chi-young, said he hoped the MOU would encourage bereaved family members to donate heirlooms passed down from their forebears. "The Dongsan Collection — the National Assembly Library's first private collection — was established with more than 3,000 books and historical materials my grandfather kept throughout his life," he said. "I hope donations will flow in so that these items can be actively researched and exhibited at the National Assembly Museum and the Constituent National Assembly Exhibition Hall, helping the public understand how the Republic of Korea came into being. I also hope this will help foster a broader culture of donation in our society."
National Assembly Archives Director Kwak Geon-hong said Jeheon Hall, which once served as both an office and a gathering place for Constituent Assembly members, reopened in May as the Constituent National Assembly Exhibition Hall and has since been open to the public year-round. "From November, we will revamp the exhibition to fully reflect the spirit of this agreement and welcome visitors with even richer content," he said.
After the signing ceremony, attendees visited the nearby historic Ungyeong House, where Constituent Assembly member Lee Jae-hyeong once lived, taking time to reflect on the legacy and sense of mission of the assembly's founding members.
kty@heraldcorp.com
