THE North-East’s only gallery dedicated to the art and culture of Korea has opened its doors.

From K-Pop to calligraphy, the brand new gallery in Durham University’s Oriental Museum celebrates the heritage of the peninsula, with some objects dating from the Unified Silla Dynasty more than 1,000 years ago.

Many items on display were bestowed to the museum in 1991 from Bishop Rutt, a missionary in Korea, but have been hidden away in storage until now.

Music is a central theme in the gallery with several traditional instruments on display. Researchers from Durham University’s Music Department have provided recordings of all the instruments so that visitors can hear the sounds as well as see them.

The gallery is part of a five-year development plan for the museum, which hopes to open a new exhibition every year. It is set to stay for at least ten years, securing Korean culture as a staple exhibit in the 53-year-old museum.

But collecting artefacts from North Korea, which rarely trades with the outside world, was no mean feat. Many items on display from the dictatorship had to be sourced from their more liberal neighbours, South Korea.

The installation was only made possible with support from the Friends of the Oriental Museum, Stories of the World and DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, which gallery curator Lauren Barnes hopes will show the unique traditions of the peninsula.

She said: "It will offer a fantastic introduction to Korean culture and will give an insight into the diverse history of both South and North Korea."