Mr. Yoo Chang-jong (b. 1945), a lawyer and prosecutor, was enchanted by ancient Korean roof tiles from the time he began collecting lotus-patterned sumaksae (roof-end tiles) as a young man.
He pursued his fascination with roof tiles throughout his entire life, and eventually donated 1,873 pieces to the National Museum of Korea, including roof tiles from Korea, China, Japan, and various other Asian countries. His collection is simply exceptional, in both quality and quantity.
The Yoo Chang-jong Gallery displays representative roof tiles from the Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla periods, brilliant celadon roof tiles from the Goryeo Dynasty, as well as many other quintessentially Chinese and Japanese roof tiles and bricks from various periods, allowing visitors to explore the entire developmental history of East Asian roof tiles in one place.