The lifestyle of Korean people, with a history extending back
more than 5,000 years, abruptly changed following the Kabo Peasant War
(1894), the Japanese invasion of Korea (1910-1945), and the Korean War
(1950-1953). When the Korean economy surged in the 1960s, the Office of
Cultural Properties started to value the establishment and operation of a folk
museum. The economy, society, and culture in Korea underwent a tremen-
dous change in pursuit of the Saemaeul Movement (movement for regional
development), promoted nationwide in the 1970s. During this period, the
government, influenced by the Foreigners' Tourism Promotion Policy, formed
an advisory council on January 15, 1972 to research the establishment of
the Korean Folk Village. Accordingly, the Korean Folk Village was founded
on May 8, 1973, and the privatization of the Folk Village was officially
approved by the government on September 18, 1973.