Gwangju Receives Green Light to Attract One of Korea's Three Major Cultural Facilities

Gwangju City’s Ambitious Bid to Attract Three Major National Cultural Institutions
Efforts to Establish Democracy History Hall and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Branch in Gwangju
Proposals for a Gwangju Branch of the National Assembly Library Also Underway

Gwangju City Hall exterior view.

A green light has been given to Gwangju City's initiative to attract three major national cultural institutions. These three institutions are the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and the National Assembly Library. Among them, the establishment of the Democracy History Hall of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in Gwangju is being promoted, and the effort to attract the Gwangju branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is also becoming more tangible. The construction of a Gwangju branch of the National Assembly Library has also been proposed to the National Assembly.

On the 9th, Gwangju City announced that, in accordance with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's "Culture Korea 2035 Project," the establishment of the Democracy History Hall of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in Gwangju and the expansion of regional branches of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art are being pursued.

If the Gwangju branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Democracy History Hall of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History are established in Gwangju, the city plans to promote cultural arts and tourism development policies based on local cultural and tourism resources and content. The city is making every effort to secure budgets and support the collection of art materials, artworks, and democratic history materials so that these institutions can successfully settle in the region.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art currently operates Gwacheon, Deoksugung, and Seoul branches in the Seoul metropolitan area, and a Cheongju branch in the central region. While Daejeon branch in the central region and Jinju and Daegu branches in the Yeongnam region are being promoted, there are currently no branches in the Honam region.

To attract the Gwangju branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the city formed a public-private-government consultative body in 2023 and began preparations such as securing a construction site. It has also established a conceptual plan for a regionally specialized museum and has been working closely with central government agencies and the National Assembly.

Last August, a National Assembly forum was held with the participation of lawmakers, academics, and experts, actively promoting the effort to attract the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. In particular, the passage of the amendment to the "Museum and Art Gallery Act" in the National Assembly on the 27th of last month and the push to enact the "National Art Museum Act" have increased the likelihood of establishing the Gwangju branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

The establishment of the Democracy History Hall of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in Gwangju is also being promoted. The construction of the Democracy History Hall is expected to serve as an opportunity to widely spread the value of democracy around the world. Gwangju is a sacred site of democracy that has been a turning point in Korea's modern and contemporary history, including the Honam Uibyeong, Gwangju Student Independence Movement, April 19 Revolution, and May 18, and is the city where President Kim Dae-jung's Nobel Peace Prize and writer Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature were based.

The city plans to actively cooperate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to collect democratic history materials from Gwangju, Korea, and Asia, and to review preliminary procedures for the smooth establishment of the Democracy History Hall.

Kim Seongbae, Director of Culture and Sports, said, "The local art community's aspiration to attract the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History to Gwangju is being reflected and materialized in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's 'Culture Korea 2035' plan," adding, "We will make every effort to secure budgets for the construction of the regionally specialized Gwangju branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Democracy History Hall."