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"The discovery of children is greater than the discovery of continents or electricity."
(Sofa teacher Bang Jeong-hwan)
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Children's Day on May 5, which was created by Sopa Bang Jeong-hwan (1899-1931) to encourage respect for children's human rights.
Teacher Bang Jeong-hwan, who first coined the word 'children' along with Children's Day, has worked hard throughout his life to ensure that all children are equally happy and have a good time without losing national pride despite the harsh realities of the Japanese colonial era.
In this way, for the first time, two originals of the board game board from 90 years ago, which contain the 'children's spirit' of Mr. Bang Jeong-hwan, were released for the first time.
In the exhibition <Today is Children's Day, the story of Bang Jeong-hwan on the sofa>, an exhibition held by the National Folk Museum of Korea to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Children's Day, there are 'World Invention Board' and 'Geumgang Kye', a game board created with great affection by Mr. Bang Jeong-hwan as well as fairy tales. The original of ' came into the world for the first time.
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First, 'World Invention Board' is an appendix to the 'Children's Magazine' published in January 1931, and introduces world inventions that changed the history of mankind, such as electricity, automobiles, music records, and radios.
The game method is a game in which the first horse to enter the 'radio' square, the latest invention at the time, wins by moving as many squares as the number drawn on the dice.
In each cell, the process of invention such as 'practice', 'exam', 'research', and 'insomnia' is marked, and when you arrive at the 'library', you have an opportunity to roll the dice one more time.
Also, if you go into 'rejection' or 'disappointment', you must rest once.
In this way, it is a useful game that melts fun elements throughout the game board and at the same time informs you about the latest scientific inventions at the time.
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In addition, the diamond game 'Geumgang' is a game provided as an appendix to the February, 1929 issue of 'Children'. Two or three players select 15 red, yellow, and blue horses at a time and move from the land in front of them to their own land across from them. The first person to reach the opposite land wins the game.
The magazine introduced Geumgang-Kyung as "a very fun, up-to-date toy" and introduced, "If you can't buy a horse, it's better to substitute it with red beans or mung beans, or you can cut a sweet potato or tree the size of a pea and color it."
Professor Bang Jeong-hwan, who said he had been thinking over and over to make an interesting board, also poured money equivalent to 7,000 magazines to make a color board.
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'Children', a monthly magazine published by Professor Bang Jeong-hwan during the Japanese colonial period, was a magazine that led the independence movement and the youth movement with the participation of leading intellectuals of the time.
'Children', a magazine loved as a playground for children, is designed so that children during the Japanese colonial era, when toys were scarce at the time, could have fun while learning historical consciousness and national spirit naturally.
An official from the Korea Bang Jeong-hwan Foundation said, "The magazine 'Children' repeatedly emphasizes the words 'fun' and 'benefit' to Korean children even in the colonial era. It is very meaningful in that it allowed us to internalize the mind naturally.”
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<Today is Children's Day, The World of Sofa Bang Jeong-hwan's Story> In the actual exhibition hall, large boards and horses were made so that they could experience these games.
In addition, in the exhibition, various play programs are conducted according to the 'children's spirit' of Mr. Bang Jeong-hwan.
There is also a program where you can enjoy children's stories such as 'The Pig Without Work' and 'Clothes of a Magpie' by Bang Jeong-hwan with interactive video content that responds to children's movements.
The exhibition will be held 6 times (90 minutes) every day until March 11, 2024, and 50 people can enter each session.
Participation is free, but reservations must be made through the website of the Children's Museum of the National Folk Museum of Korea.
(Photo=National Folk Museum, Yonhap News)
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Bang Jeong-hwan (1899-1931), a pioneer in the children's movement, said,
"You should not regard children as objects, and you should know that they are a new person in a new era. Do not take children's will lightly. For hope, for tomorrow, together. Let's raise children well."