Seeking Revitalization of 15 Public Museums in Incheon... Introduction of Incheon-style Evaluation and Certification System

Incheon City is preparing a comprehensive plan to revitalize 15 public museums in the region. Recently, the city's advisory body, the Administrative Innovation Group, raised the need to revitalize public museums and selected "Enhancing the Efficiency of Public Museum Operations" as a new task among the administrative innovation projects. Accordingly, the city plans to establish a comprehensive plan for the revitalization of public museums within this month.

In particular, with growing public interest in museums due to the recent establishment of the National Museum of World Writing in Incheon, the third of its kind in the world, and the upcoming opening of the National Incheon Maritime Museum in the second half of next year, the city intends to actively respond to citizens' cultural demands by preparing a revitalization plan.

Incheon has a total of 15 public museums, including the main branch of the Municipal Museum, three annexes such as the Immigration History Museum, Geomdan Prehistoric Museum, and Urban History Museum, and 11 county and district public museums. Incheon City plans to enhance the autonomy and responsibility of these museums while preserving their unique characteristics and increasing effectiveness through joint cooperation among museums.

Incheon Metropolitan Museum
Photo by Incheon City

First, a consultative body will be formed, centered on the Municipal Museum and including heads of county and district public museums, to develop citizen-centered linked programs and plan and promote cooperative projects among museums such as collaborative exhibitions and educational programs. A new public contest project will also be launched to support county and district public museums. The city plans to allocate a new budget for next year, solicit project plans, and support the establishment of smart museums, including the production of immersive content and experience zones, as well as exhibition and educational programs.

Additionally, Incheon-type evaluation indicators will be developed to strengthen the internal capabilities of museums, and self-assessment and certification will be conducted. After a pilot operation next year, the system will be fully implemented from 2025, with additional incentives provided to museums that receive favorable evaluation results.

Furthermore, the Municipal Museum will conduct a policy study on the revitalization of public museums in the second half of this year to lay the foundation for establishing Incheon City's mid- to long-term promotion plan for museums and art galleries. Kim Chung-jin, Director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of Incheon City, said, "We will strive to make Incheon's museums places of rest in citizens' daily lives as well as spaces for historical and cultural heritage."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.