Selected as Outstanding Institutions Including National Museum of Korea and Paik Nam June Art Center

Announcement of National Museum and Public Art Museum Accreditation Results
Urgent Need for Improvements in Public Art Museums, Including Increase in Professional Staff

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 13th that it has selected thirty-three national museums and forty public art museums as certified institutions. These are institutions that scored over 70 points in evaluations of their operations. Eight national museums and three public art museums that scored over 90 points were selected as excellent institutions. These include the National Museum of Korea, National Folk Museum, National Hangeul Museum, Gongju National Museum, Gwangju National Museum, Museum of Korean History, National Maritime Museum, National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage, Seoul Museum of Art, Jeonbuk Provincial Museum, and the Nam June Paik Art Center. The certification details can be displayed on outdoor signs, various documents, promotional materials, and websites.

On the 9th, Hangul Day, citizens visiting the 4th Hangul Experiment Project 'Modern Hangul Research Institute' special exhibition held at the National Hangul Museum in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, are viewing the exhibition. Photo by Mo Honam munonam@

Since 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been evaluating national museums and public art museums every three years under the "Museum and Art Gallery Promotion Act." The targets are forty-nine national museums and sixty-seven public art museums that have been registered for more than three years. The evaluation criteria are broadly divided into five categories: achievement of establishment objectives, appropriateness of organization, personnel, facilities, and financial management, thoroughness of data collection and management, performance in hosting exhibitions and conducting educational programs, and public responsibility. Through the Evaluation and Certification Review Committee, written evaluations, on-site investigations, and comprehensive assessments were conducted from July to December of last year.

A Ministry official explained, “While evaluating the overall operation of institutions, we considered differences in size and personnel to ensure that relatively smaller museums and art galleries are not disadvantaged. We also applied evaluation indicators reflecting the social phenomenon of COVID-19 to secure objectivity.”

The overall achievement rate for exhibition hosting and educational program performance among national museums was 84.1%. Most institutions received high evaluations for providing online services despite special circumstances such as COVID-19. However, the achievement rate for public responsibility was low at 71.1%. The Ministry official stated, “As national institutions, there is a need to devise cooperative measures for mutual growth.” Public art museums scored over 79% in exhibitions, education, and public responsibility, but received scores in the 70% range or lower in the other three categories. In particular, organization, personnel, and facilities scored 64.6%, indicating an urgent need for improvements such as increasing professional staff.

Yoon In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is delivering opening remarks at the Regulatory Innovation Promotion Meeting for the Promotion of Free and Creative Culture, Sports, and Tourism Industries held on the 4th at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

The Ministry will hold a joint training workshop this month to share the evaluation and certification results. In the second half of the year, customized consultations will be provided to uncertified institutions to enhance their operational capabilities. A Ministry official said, “We hope that museums and art galleries objectively review their operational performance through evaluation and certification, address their shortcomings, and expand their functions and roles as public cultural infrastructure.”

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