Uibyeong Museum Welcomes 240,000 Visitors... Ranked No. 1 in Public Museum Evaluation for Second Consecutive Time

Linked with Sotbawi, Lee Byung-chul’s Birthplace, and Lee Jong-hwan’s Birthplace
Ranks Second in Annual Visitors

The Uibyeong Museum in Uiryeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, announced on the 27th that it has ranked first among county-level public museums in the province for the second consecutive time in the 2025 Public Museum Evaluation and Certification conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The museum also demonstrated outstanding performance in visitor metrics, ranking second in annual visitors among 43 registered public museums in South Gyeongsang Province as of January 2024, with 208,694 visitors.

Exterior view of the Uibyeong Museum. Provided by Uiryeong County

The number of visitors to the Uibyeong Museum has been steadily increasing every year, with 101,031 in 2021, 183,450 in 2022, 208,694 in 2023, and 247,851 in 2024. As of the end of October 2025, the museum had recorded 224,385 visitors, continuing its upward trend.

The museum's excellent accessibility, due to its central location in South Gyeongsang Province, and the originality of its theme are also cited as key competitive advantages.

Unlike most public museums, which are typically named after their region, the name "Uibyeong Museum" clearly conveys the museum's theme and uniqueness through its name alone.

This differentiation has served as a strength, enhancing visitor awareness and simultaneously driving demand for both history and tourism.

The public museum evaluation is a system that inspects the quality of operations at public museums nationwide every three years, in accordance with the Museum and Art Gallery Promotion Act.

This year’s evaluation comprehensively assessed key functions such as facilities and operations, exhibitions and education, collection research, and visitor services. The Uibyeong Museum received consistently high marks across all categories.

October 31 last year, opening ceremony of the Uibyeong Museum Exhibition Hall 2, Oh Taewan, County Governor. Provided by Uiryeong County

Meanwhile, in 2024, the Uibyeong Museum opened its second exhibition hall, laying the foundation for its transformation into a "Comprehensive Uibyeong Museum."

With the opening of the second exhibition hall-a pledge of the eighth popularly elected administration-the museum expanded its scope. While the first exhibition hall focused on the history of Uibyeong soldiers during the Imjin War, centering on General Gwak Jaeu, the second hall now covers the entire history of Uibyeong, including anti-Japanese Uibyeong movements and the independence movement, thus completing a comprehensive exhibition system.

Within a 20-minute radius of the museum are attractions such as Chungiksa Shrine, Cloud Bridge, Sotbawi Rock, and the birthplace of Lee Byung-chul, making it the center of a "20-minute tourism zone" with outstanding potential for integrated historical, tourism, and experiential visits.

The Uibyeong Museum obtained final certification after a document review and on-site inspection in this year's evaluation, receiving a certificate of excellence valid for three years.

Building on this achievement, the museum plans to further strengthen its content competitiveness and visitor services, thereby enhancing Uiryeong County's historical and cultural stature.

County Governor Oh Taewan stated, "Ranking first in the public museum evaluation is a nationally recognized result of our efforts to carry on the Uibyeong spirit of Uiryeong and the professionalism in museum operations. With the opening of the second exhibition hall, we will further strengthen our exhibition, education, and research functions to develop the museum into a place that both residents and visitors want to visit."

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