A New Home in Seoul Looks to the PastNew York Times A few years ago, when Hongnam Kim, a professor here at Ewha Womans University, decided to build a house, she knew she wanted it to take the form of a hanok, the traditional wooden structure dating back to the Joseon dynasty in 1392. But she also needed a modern basement where she could pursue her work. Dr. Kim, who is 64, is an art historian, but not just any art historian. She is a former director-general of the National Museum of Korea and a former director of the National Folk Museum, and currently helps to run the National Trust of Korea, a nongovernment environmental and cultural preservationist group. She is also a perfectionist, and she knows her hanoks. Still, she is a woman in a patriarchal society.

A New Home in Seoul Looks to the Past
New York Times

A few years ago, when Hongnam Kim, a professor here at Ewha Womans University, decided to build a house, she knew she wanted it to take the form of a hanok, the traditional wooden structure dating back to the Joseon dynasty in 1392. But she also needed a modern basement where she could pursue her work.

Dr. Kim, who is 64, is an art historian, but not just any art historian. She is a former director-general of the National Museum of Korea and a former director of the National Folk Museum, and currently helps to run the National Trust of Korea, a nongovernment environmental and cultural preservationist group.

She is also a perfectionist, and she knows her hanoks. Still, she is a woman in a patriarchal society.