'Cultural Hub City' Gwangju, Museum Infrastructure Among the Lowest in the Nation

Only 1.4% of National Museums Located in Gwangju, Visitor Numbers Also Drop
Min Hyungbae: "Will Support the Establishment of Gwangju Branch of the National History Museum"

Min Hyungbae, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

The museum infrastructure in Gwangju, which aspires to be the Asian Culture Hub City, remains among the lowest in the nation, raising questions about its status as a cultural city.

According to data from the "2024 National Cultural Infrastructure Directory" submitted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to Min Hyungbae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gwangju Gwangsan-eul), as of September 26, Gwangju is home to only 13 museums out of 916 nationwide, accounting for just about 1.4% of the total.

This is the lowest figure among metropolitan governments, excluding Sejong and Ulsan. In contrast, Seoul has 135 museums (14.7%), Gyeonggi Province has 129 (14.0%), and Gangwon Province has 100 (10.9%), highlighting significant regional disparities.

The low number of museums also results in a shortage of related professionals and staff. Of the 11,518 museum employees nationwide, only 188 (1.63%) work at museums in Gwangju. In particular, there are just 77 curators-key personnel specializing in exhibitions and planning-out of 3,982 nationwide, representing only 1.9%.

Even more concerning is the trend in visitor numbers. While the national average number of museum visitors increased 1.2 times year-on-year last year, Gwangju saw a decrease from 1,034,766 to 1,004,023, a drop of about 30,000. This suggests that museums, which are important cultural assets for the region, may not be offering sufficiently attractive content to citizens and visitors, or that accessibility is lacking. Critics argue that this reality does not befit Gwangju's reputation as a city aspiring to be the Asian Culture Hub City.

Min Hyungbae stated, "Gwangju is the heart of the democratization movement and a place where the history of democracy lives on, yet the number of museums preserving this legacy is seriously insufficient." He added, "Fortunately, part of the budget for the Gwangju branch of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History has been included in next year's government plan, and I will actively support its smooth implementation at the National Assembly level."