The University Museum in Korea was started in 1924 as a national educational institution at Yonsei College, the predecessor of Yonsei University. The aim of museum was to promote national education and research to students and citizens without losing cultural identity. A little later, museums were opened at Korea University and Ewha Women University. After the independence, as the university museums increased, The Korean Association of University Museums was founded in 1961. The association emphasized the role of the university museum in its founding statement. The local university museum has a critical mission to be responsible for the protection, research and dissemination of the cultural assets of the region.
The Cultural Heritage Protection Act was enacted in 1961, allowing the university to investigate burial cultural property. In 1967, universities were compulsory to install museums, which led to the rapid development of university museums. Thus, the university museum has made excavation, collection of relics and conservation research an important function. By the 1990s, over 50% of the nation’s excavations were undertaken by university museums.
Since the mid-1990s, many excavation firms have been established nationwide. As these corporations took up most of the excavation, the role of excavation in the university museum was neglected. As a result, university museums are threatened by the failure to find new tracks. In order to escape this crisis, university museums sought new development directions. It is working with the community and local governments and responding to the age of lifelong education by developing interesting programs. This study examines the case of Daegu Haany University Museum that has successfully changed the university museum. The Daegu Haany University Museum utilizes the characteristics of the university and has developed and operated a unique program that is not found in other universities. As a result, it has received great acclaim by suggesting new development directions for university museums not only in local communities but also nationwide.