The NMK’s relocation to the former Joseon General-Government building stirred a considerable amount of controversy, because many Koreans saw that particular building as a symbol of colonialism.

Since the public was so opposed to the display of precious Korean properties inside this building, the Korean government decided to demolish the building and build a new museum at a different location. The chosen site was Yongsan Family Park in Seoul. The proposed project would require about ten years to complete, so in December 1996, the NMK was temporarily moved to the renovated Social Education Center in Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Special exhibitions during this period included “Korean Ancient Pottery” (1997), “The Tiger in Korean Art” (1998), “Beauteous Kumgangsan, Diamond Mountain” (1999), “New Millennium Special Exhibition: Hangeul, the Korean Alphabet” (2000), “Genre Paintings of the Joseon Period” (2002), and “Unified Silla” (2003). More than 12,000 relics were donated to the NMK between 2000 and 2004, confirming the positive response of the Korean people to the museum’s relocation to Yongsan