The "Gyeongbuk Provincial Museum of Art Construction Project" promoted by North Gyeongsang Province passed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's "Preliminary Feasibility Assessment for the Establishment of Public Art Museums" on April 30, 2025.
This successful preliminary assessment means that the necessity and feasibility of the project have been officially recognized by the government. Going forward, North Gyeongsang Province plans to accelerate the project in earnest, aiming to open the museum in 2029 after completing subsequent procedures such as the central government investment review.
Under the vision of "A Museum of Tomorrow Facing a Millennium," the Gyeongbuk Provincial Museum of Art will be created as a symbolic space where contemporary art and future culture coexist, based on the long history and traditions of North Gyeongsang Province.
The museum will be built as a complex cultural facility in Sanhap-ri, Homyeong-eup, Yecheon-gun, in the new provincial government city, with a total area of 18,600 square meters. It will include exhibition halls, storage rooms, an archive, a children's space, and an outdoor sculpture park.
This successful preliminary assessment is the result of North Gyeongsang Province's systematic preparation and strategic approach for building the museum. Since 2023, the province has gathered opinions from residents and the art community through an expert advisory committee, public hearings, and academic seminars, and has also worked to build a content foundation through research projects on the art history of North Gyeongsang Province.
The province plans to develop the museum not just as an exhibition space, but as a central hub for regional cultural tourism and a venue for art education and creative exchange for future generations.
In particular, the area near the museum is home to various cultural and world heritage resources, such as Andong Hahoe Village, Byeongsan Seowon, Bongjeongsa Temple, and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Library. This is expected to lead to the expansion of a central inland cultural belt encompassing Yecheon, Andong, Mungyeong, and Sangju.
Through this, it will be possible to attract family tourists, vitalize stay-type tourism, and integrate with the local cultural content industry. In the long term, this is expected to have a positive effect on the regional economy.
In addition, by linking the museum with the infrastructure and transportation network of the new provincial government city, the province plans to improve accessibility for visitors and create an open cultural environment where the city and art breathe together through the outdoor sculpture park and public art projects.
Although North Gyeongsang Province is the birthplace of masters of Korean contemporary art such as Lee Kwaidae, Yoo Youngkuk, and Park Seobo, it is one of the few metropolitan provinces in the country without a provincial art museum. The construction of the museum is expected to address this cultural imbalance and serve as an opportunity to redefine the art history of North Gyeongsang Province.
Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, stated, "The provincial art museum will inherit the cultural assets of a millennium-old Gyeongbuk and become a creative platform for future generations." He added, "We will ensure the smooth progress of the project so that the museum can grow into a new-generation art museum that opens the era of internationalization beyond Korea through international exchange exhibitions and more."
North Gyeongsang Province aims to open the museum in 2029, following the central government investment review in the second half of 2025, an international design competition, and detailed design work.
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