Seolmundae Women’s Culture Center in the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is holding a permanent special VR digital exhibition in Jeju Women’s History and Culture Exhibition Hall over 60 days from the 11th of the last month to January 9, 2022 on the theme of “On a Stormy Jeju Island, the Jeju Women’s Lives.”

The special exhibition “On a Stormy Jeju Island, the Jeju Women’s Lives” presents an opportunity shed new light on the lives of Jeju’s women, who resolutely and proudly pioneered their own livelihoods in the inhospitable environment of strong winds, rocky volcanic soil and black seas.

The exhibition was organized to present the materials currently on permanent exhibition on the second floor of Jeju Women’s History and Culture Exhibition Hall in a contact-free/online format, and consists of three parts; “The History and Lives of Jeju Women,” “Pioneering Figures Among Jeju Women,” and “Jeju Women and the Jeju Uprising.”

Part 1 “The History and Lives of Jeju Women” provides voice recordings telling the story of Jeju women’s lives and an overview of intangible heritage involving Jeju women, such as Jeju’s haenyeo as the symbol of resolute vitality and the mother of Jeju; Jeju Yecheong, female soldiers tasked with guarding Jeju’s defensive facilities; Hong Yun-ae, a virtuous woman who fought against unjust authority; and Kim Man-deok, a businesswoman who saved many Jeju residents by giving away her entire wealth in a disastrous year.

Part 2 “Pioneering Figures Among Jeju Women” will be presented online through documentary videos and VR exhibitions on the deeds of leading figures among Jeju women who enhanced women’s consciousness through women’s education despite the patriarchal social structure and inhospitable natural environment in resistance against Japanese colonial rule amidst a turbulent era, such as Kang Pyeong-guk (1900-1933), Kim Si-suk (1880-1933), Choi Jeong-suk (1902-1977) and Go Su-seon (1898-1989).

Part 3 “Jeju Women and the Jeju Uprising” presents the testimonies of Jeju women who had to raise collapsed rafters, ensure their children’s survival by feeding them half-sand-half-rice meals in burned rice pots, and make a living however they could on the fields and oceans. The testimonies, displayed in the special exhibition room of Jeju Museum of Art, were filmed then rearranged through immersive technologies to be presented as a VR exhibition.

Meanwhile, during the exhibition period, reservations can be made in advance on a first-come-first-served basis on the day to view the exhibition individually alongside a guide.

Commentary is provided on an individual advance booking basis through the 60 days of the exhibition (from 10am to 5pm), with up to five individuals able to view the exhibition at the same time while complying with COVID-19 infection control guidelines. The VR exhibition can be viewed online through the Seolmundae Women’s Culture Center website. The exhibition can also be accessed via the QR code below.

Website : http://www.jeju.go.kr/swcenter/news/movie.htm