Professor Kim Wang-sik of Ewha Womans University Department of Social Education has been tapped to serve as the first director of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History slated to open on Dec. 26, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday.

Kim graduated from Yonsei University and earned his doctorate at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He was a board member of the Korean Association of International Studies, which researched the modern and contemporary history of Korea in preparation for the establishment of the museum.

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History situated in Gwanghwamun in central Seoul will highlight the economic growth the country has achieved in less than 60 years through 1,500 exhibition items.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)