Museums & Theaters

Korea abounds in cultural facilities of all levels and categories where people can enjoy exhibitions and stage performances throughout the year. These places offer an on-the-spot glimpse into the cultural and artistic achievements of Koreans past and present, regarding both traditional and modern trends and tastes.

From full-scale museums of international standards to small theaters where performers and spectators can casually mingle and interact, these facilities vary in type and scale so as to satisfy the diverse interests and penchants of their target audiences. There are 233 museums in Korea, with ten being funded and operated by the central government, including the National Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum located in downtown Seoul. Others are located in provincial cities, some of which were the capitals of ancient kingdoms.

In particular, Gyeongju and Buyeo are treasure houses of historic remains and relics that reveal the cultural brilliance of their respective region. As such, each museum features a unique historical flavor. In addition to the national and public museums as well as college and university museums, there are more than 80 private museums in Korea that have been established by private citizens, religious organizations and business enterprises. In most cases, their collections consist of cultural artifacts which involved a lifetime of dedicated efforts to gather.

The collections range from folk paintings, books, religious objects, furniture and embroidery to traditional costumes. In recent years, museums with unusual collections have appeared including a museum specializing in kimchi, Korea's trademark pickled cabbage and radish. Korea has about 50 multi-purpose theaters. The National Theater, founded in 1950, is located at the foot of Mt. Namsan in the heart of Seoul. With a goal of preserving and developing traditional culture and contemporary performing arts, it has gone through a half century of hardship and change and is now rightfully proud of its seven resident companies who stage some 35 regular productions annually. The seven include the: National Drama Company, National Changgeuk (Korean musical drama) Company, National Dance Company, National Ballet Company, National Chorus Company, National Opera Company, and National Traditional Music Orchestra.

These companies frequently present special tour performances overseas and across Korea. The National Museum of Contemporary Art, located in a scenic park south of Seoul, features an extensive collection of Korean and Western art works of the 20th century. The number of art galleries has greatly increased in the past two decades amid growing public interest in fine art. Galleries of varied size and character are clustered in such areas as Insa-dong, downtown Seoul, which is dubbed "Mary's Alley" by resident foreigners, Sagan-dong near Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul.

Korea's largest multi-purpose theater is the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, located in the center of Seoul. Affiliated with this municipal arts center, opened in 1978, are the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul City Orchestra for Traditional Music, Seoul Municipal Dance Company, Seoul Municipal Choir and Seoul Municipal Junior Choir.

The center's main hall can seat 4,000 while its pipe organ is one of the finest in the world. The Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul was opened in February 1993. The Opera House is the centerpiece of the art center with a capacity of 2,346. The center, covering a total land area of over 234,385 square meters and a total floor space of 120,951 square meters, has two elegant concert halls, a fine arts gallery, a calligraphy hall, an arts library and a film archive. The Festival Hall, the largest building in the center, is designed to house three theaters - an Opera House with 2,346 seats, a Play House with 800 seats, and a Studio Theater with 300 seats. Drama, opera, ballet, dance and combinations of these art forms are presented, featuring companies and performers from both the Korea and abroad.