Pacific Asia Museum Opening New Korean Gallery

The Pacific Asia Museum will showcase its new Korean gallery to the public on Friday, with a special VIP viewing on Thursday, according to the museum.

The gallery is the museum's latest step in a renovation and reinterpretation process of its permanent galleries, which began in 2010. The new Korean Gallery will reap the benefits of a larger space as well as a themed approach to showcase more objects from the Korean collection. 

The tip of the spear for the renovation efforts was the museum's unveiling of the Introductory Gallery in March of 2011, which can be found in the museum's entry space, said Chelsea Mason, spokesperson for the museum.

"It's a wonderful space," she said. "We use it was a way to teach visitors how to go through the museum, and we wanted really apply that thinking to the rest of the museum."

The museum will be renovating its other galleries through 2015, with the Chinese gallery up next, Mason said. The aim of the renovations is to better present its permanent collection to visitors and protect it through upgrades to climate controls, lighting and display cases.