National Women's History Exhibition Hall holds permanent exhibition "Voices" highlighting Korean women's human rights movements

The voices of women, who have raised issues regarding discrimination that was accepted as 'natural' in families, workplaces, and throughout society, have led to changes in systems and perceptions. An exhibition will be held to retrace the process through which women's rights have expanded in Korean society using historical materials and contemporary art.

The National Women's History Exhibition Hall is holding the permanent thematic exhibition 《Voices》 until May 31, 2027. This is the first case of operating under a 'permanent thematic exhibition' system, where themes are changed regularly, following a complete renovation of the permanent exhibition hall for the first time in 12 years since the hall moved to Goyang, Gyeonggi-do in 2014.

The first theme is 'The History of Korean Women's Human Rights Movements.' The exhibition examines the flow of how women have questioned the unequal structures of society and expanded their rights through three branches: 'Patriarchy,' 'Labor,' and 'Gender Violence.'

In the section dealing with patriarchy, the activities of women's groups that continued for the revision of the Family Law and the abolition of the Head of Family system are highlighted, including the first female lawyer Lee Tai-young. In the labor sector, the exhibition introduces the women's labor movements of the 1970s and 1980s, including the Dongil Textile and YH Trading incidents, the emergence of democratic labor unions, the private childcare movement, and movements to abolish employment and retirement age discrimination.

The gender violence section focuses on the movements that brought violence—which had long been considered individual problems, such as sexual violence, domestic violence, prostitution, and the issue of victims of the Japanese military 'comfort women'—up to social agendas and created changes in laws and systems. Changes in the women's human rights movement, which have expanded around a new generation since 2016, can also be observed.

The exhibition hall features records containing traces of women's human rights movements alongside contemporary art pieces. Approximately 96 items and 140 pieces of material will be revealed, including materials related to the Family Law revision movement, historical records of the Dongil Textile and YH Trading incidents, and video testimonies of Japanese military 'comfort women' victims. Works by contemporary artists such as Kwon Se-jeong, Kim Ok-seon, Kim In-sun, Noh Won-hee, Bom Roya, Ahn Jeong-ju, Ahn Hae-ryong, Lee Eun-hong, Jeong Jeong-yeop, and Ju Hwang can also be met.

The exhibition is free to view. The National Women's History Exhibition Hall is closed on public holidays and Sundays, and operates from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.