President Lee Mentions Possibility of Charging Admission: "National Museum Should Feel More Valuable"

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Briefing Held on the 16th

President Lee Jae-myung. Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung mentioned the possibility of introducing admission fees at the National Museum of Korea, which is currently operated free of charge.

On the afternoon of December 16, during a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism work briefing held at the Government Sejong Convention Center, President Lee commented on the recent increase in visitors to the National Museum of Korea, saying, "When admission is free, it can diminish the sense of value and make it seem cheap, so perhaps there is a need for people to feel it is more precious." His remarks came as he directly inquired about the consideration of charging admission fees.

Regarding the museum's visitor capacity, President Lee asked, "If the current level is maintained, is the capacity sufficient?" Minister Choi Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism responded, "Next year, we are considering introducing a reservation system to manage the number of visitors," adding, "There are pros and cons to charging admission, so we are gathering various opinions." He also stated that the possibility of transitioning to paid admission is under review.

The museum expressed concerns about safety management due to the increase in visitors. An official from the National Museum of Korea stated, "According to fire regulations, the appropriate daily capacity is 15,000 people, but at the peak at the end of July, as many as 44,000 people visited in a single day, which put a strain on safety management." However, the official explained, "The number of visitors had been on the rise, but since the end of the summer vacation, the situation has somewhat stabilized." President Lee requested, "Please pay special attention to safety management."

President Lee also mentioned the operation of the museum's cultural products (Myuz) and the hosting of a costume contest, saying, "I heard the museum has many items and has sold a lot of products. This is commendable," and added, "The idea for the costume contest was also good and entertaining."