Digital Resilience
AI and Cultural Democracy at the National Museum of Korea
Absztrakt
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a brutal stress test for museum resilience. While many institutions relied on a 'substitutive model' of mere digital replacement, the National Museum of Korea (NMK) achieved anomalous growth through a strategic pivot. This study employs an explanatory single-case study design to investigate the mechanisms behind this success. Applying pattern matching logic, the research validates the efficacy of a 'Transformative Model' grounded in Cultural Democracy. Findings reveal that the NMK's integration of AI-driven personalization, immersive Extended Reality (XR) experiences, and radical inclusivity reconfigured the visitor relationship from passive consumption to active co-creation. Crucially, empirical data confirms a positive correlation where high-level digital engagement functioned as a catalytic gateway that drove, rather than cannibalized, physical attendance. This case illustrates how sustainable resilience can be achieved when technology is strategically deployed to democratize heritage access and empower the visitor as an active participant.
Kulcsszavak:
digital resilience transformative model, cultural democracy, digital heritage engagement, museum digital ecosystemHivatkozások
Baek, S. (2023) Jangbyeogeul neomeo modureul wihan bangmulgwaneuro [Beyond barriers, toward a museum for all]. Bangmulgwan Sinmun. National Museum of Korea. Available at: https://webzine.museum.go.kr/sub.html?amIdx=15250 (Accessed: 2025. 10. 30.)
Bekele, M. K., Pierdicca, R., Frontoni, E., Malinverni, E. S., Gain, J. (2018) A survey of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality for cultural heritage. Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, 11(2), p. 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1145/3145534
Bonet, L., Négrier, E. (2018) The participative turn in cultural policy: Paradigms, models, contexts. Poetics, 66, p. 64–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2018.02.006
Cheshire, L., Da Silva, J. (2023) The 100 most popular art museums in the world – who has recovered and who is still struggling? 2023. 03. 27. The Art Newspaper. Available at: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/03/27/the-100-most-popular-art-museums-in-the-worldwho-has-recovered-and-who-is-still-struggling (Accessed: 2025. 10. 30.)
Cheshire, L., Da Silva, J. (2024) The 100 most popular art museums in the world – blockbusters, bots and bounce-backs. 2024. 03. 26. The Art Newspaper. Available at: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/03/26/the-100-most-popular-art-museums-in-the-world-2023 (Accessed: 2025. 10. 30.)
Cho, G. (2021). Metabeoseu tago bangmulgwan sinsegyero! Dijiteol jeonryak 2025 [Riding the metaverse to a new museum world! Digital strategy 2025]. Bangmulgwan Sinmun. National Museum of Korea. Available at: https://webzine.museum.go.kr/sub.html?amIdx=14563 (Accessed: 2025. 10. 29.)
Finnis, J., Kennedy, A. (2020) The Digital Transformation Agenda and GLAMS: A Quick Scan Report for Europeana. Europeana PRO. Available at: https://pro.europeana.eu/files/Europeana_Professional/Publications/Digital%20transformation%20reports/The%20digital%20transformation%20agenda%20and%20GLAMs%20-%20Culture24%20findings%20and%20outcomes.pdf (Accessed: 2025. 10. 29.)
Giannini, T., Bowen, J. P. (2022) Museums and Digital Culture: From Reality to Digitality in the Age of COVID-19. Heritage, 5(1), p. 192–214. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5010011
Hughes-Noehrer, L. B. M. (2022) Artificial Intelligence, Museum Environments and their Constituents: A Cross-disciplinary Study Using Recommender Systems to Explore Digital Collections. Doctoral dissertation, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. Available at: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/artificial-intelligence-museum-environments-and-their-constituent/
Kelly, L. (2009) The Impact of Social Media on Museum Practice. Paper presentation at National Palace Museum. Taipei, Taiwan. 2009. 10. 20. Available at: https://media.australian.museum/media/dd/Uploads/Documents/9307/impact%20of%20social%20media%20on%20museum%20practice.8b9c706.pdf
Larkin, J., Ballatore, A., Mityurova, E. (2023) Museums, COVID‐19 and the pivot to social media. Curator: The Museum Journal, 66(4), p. 629–646. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12558
Li, K., Liu, H. (2025) Machine learning framework for adaptive museum tour recommendation and personalized visitor experience. Information Resources Management Journal, 38(1), p. 1–23. https://doi.org/10.4018/irmj.385723
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism [MCST] (2024) Seoulbuteo Jejudokkaji, onlainesado ingongjineung munhwahaeseol robot ‘Kyuai’ hwaldonghamnida [The AI cultural guide robot ‘QI’ is active from Seoul to Jeju, and also online]. 2024. 12. 27. Available at: https://www.kcisa.kr/kr/board/report/boardView.do?bbsIdx=16965 (Accessed: 2025. 10. 29.)
National Museum of Korea (2020) Annual Report 2019. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Available at: https://www.museum.go.kr/uploadfile/AnnualReport/2019/index.html
National Museum of Korea (2021) Annual Report 2020. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Available at: https://www.museum.go.kr/uploadfile/AnnualReport/2020/index.html
National Museum of Korea (2022) Annual Report 2021. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Available at: https://www.museum.go.kr/uploadfile/AnnualReport/2021/index.html
National Museum of Korea. (2023). Annual Report 2022. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Available at: https://www.museum.go.kr/uploadfile/AnnualReport/2022/index.html
National Museum of Korea. (2024). Annual Report 2023. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Available at: https://www.museum.go.kr/uploadfile/AnnualReport/2023/index.html
National Museum of Korea. (2025, March 7). Gungnipjungangbangmulgwan matchumhyeong jeonsi annae seumateu kioseukeuui jeopgeunseong gineung gaeseon [Improved accessibility features of the National Museum of Korea’s customized smart exhibition guide kiosk]. 2025. 03. 07. Available at: https://www.museum.go.kr/MUSEUM/contents/M0701040000.do?catCustomType=post&catId=93&schM=view&arcId=21652 (Accessed: 2025. 10. 30.)
Network of European Museum Organisations [NEMO] (2020) Survey on the impact of the COVID-19 situation on museums in Europe. Available at: https://www.ne-mo.org/fileadmin/Dateien/public/NEMO_documents/NEMO_COVID19_Report_12.05.2020.pdf
Network of European Museum Organisations [NEMO] (2021) Follow-up survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Available at: https://www.ne-mo.org/fileadmin/Dateien/public/NEMO_documents/NEMO_COVID19_FollowUpReport_11.1.2021.pdf
Nikolaou, P. (2024) Museums and the Post-Digital: Revisiting challenges in the Digital transformation of museums. Heritage, 7(3), p. 1784–1800. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7030084
Parry, R. (2013) The End of the Beginning. Museum Worlds, 1(1), p. 24–39. https://doi.org/10.3167/armw.2013.010103
Proctor, N. (2010) Digital: Museum as Platform, Curator as Champion, in the Age of Social Media. Curator: The Museum Journal, 53(1), p. 35–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2151-6952.2009.00006.x
Seo, Y. (2022) Jinhwadoen jeonsihaeseol robot, Kyuai [Evolved exhibition guide robot, QI]. Bangmulgwan Sinmun. National Museum of Korea. Available at: https://webzine.museum.go.kr/sub.html?amIdx=15183 (Accessed: 2025. 10. 29.)
Seo, Y. (2025) Haipeokeullaudeu, Gungnipjungangbangmulgwan AR Jeonsiannae AEP Godohwa Saeop Chamyeo [HyperCloud participates in the National Museum of Korea’s AR Exhibition Guide App Enhancement Project]. 2025. 03. 27. The Information & Communication Newspaper. Available at: https://www.koit.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=129326
Simon, N. (2010) The Participatory Museum. Museum 2.0. https://participatorymuseum.org/read/
The Economist. (2021) Attendance at the world’s biggest art museums has plummeted. The Economist. 2021. 04. 01. https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/04/01/attendance-at-the-worlds-biggest-art-museums-has-plummeted
Trunfio, M., Jung, T., Campana, S. (2022) Mixed reality experiences in museums: Exploring the impact of functional elements of the devices on visitors’ immersive experiences and post-experience behaviours. Information & Management, 59(8), art. 103698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2022.103698
UNESCO. (2020). Museums around the world in the face of COVID-19. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373530
Yap, J. Q. H., Kamble, Z., Kuah, A. T., Tolkach, D. (2024) The impact of digitalisation and digitisation in museums on memory-making. Current Issues in Tourism, 27(16), 2538–2560. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2024.2317912
Yin, R. K. (2018) Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-1-5063-3616-9
