The National Museum of Korea (NMK)'s smart kiosks and mobile service 'Smart Exhibition Hall' are facing controversy because sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired is not working properly. Sign language interpretation is provided for only 125 out of 6,000 artifacts in the NMK permanent exhibition hall, and the expressions and movements of the AI avatar are also unnatural, making it difficult to understand the content. This is analyzed as a structural problem stemming from the fact that Korean Sign Language has not been recognized as an independent language when designing public services. Experts argue that improving devices that meet accessibility standards for people with disabilities and establishing a video interpretation system with actual sign language interpreters is necessary. The NMK said it is difficult to provide sign language interpretation for all artifacts due to budget constraints, and plans to gradually improve the service.
