Visitors to Seoul’s cultural venues up 2.1-fold after nighttime hours extended; Oh Se-hoon inspects ‘Culture Night’ sites

[Financial News] The number of visitors increased 2.1-fold after the Seoul Metropolitan Government expanded nighttime opening hours at six major cultural facilities.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 12th that total visitors to six cultural facilities reached 1,198,000 from September 15 through October 31, at least doubling from 569,000 before the expanded hours (August 1–September 14). In particular, around 85,000 people visited the facilities during nighttime hours alone, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On the evening of the 11th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the Seoul Museum of Craft Art (SeMoCA), Unhyeongung Palace and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in turn, taking part in the Seoul Culture Night program and engaging with residents and people in the cultural and arts sectors.
Seoul Culture Night is a program that keeps major cultural facilities, including museums, traditional Korean houses and performance venues, open into the evening and offers hands-on activities. It was launched to support residents’ cultural activities at night, attract tourists and boost local businesses.
At SeMoCA, Mayor Oh viewed the exhibition ‘Each One’s Angle’ and met with five young craft artists to exchange views on ways to expand opportunities for creative work and exhibitions.
At Unhyeongung Palace, he then joined residents in traditional games, including pitch-pot and rolling hoops, and experienced a tea ceremony. At the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, he watched a jazz performance at Curtain Call Garden, an outdoor cultural space, and took part in a ‘Backstage Night Tour’ with residents, exploring areas behind the main auditorium stage and other spaces.
After the site visits, he held a roundtable with representatives of cultural, arts and tourism organizations at a restaurant near Gwanghwamun, discussing ways to expand nighttime cultural content and boost local businesses.
Since September 15, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has expanded nighttime opening at six facilities—from a schedule centered on Fridays to five days a week—including the Seoul Museum of History, the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, the Hanseong Baekje Museum, Unhyeongung Palace, Namsangol Hanok Village, and Stories of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-sin. These facilities will operate until 9 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday through the 30th.
The city plans to analyze nighttime visitor numbers and resident satisfaction, among other factors, and adjust its operations accordingly. It also plans to expand programs linking visits to cultural facilities with use of nearby businesses, such as restaurants and cafes.
Mayor Oh said, “To create a Seoul that stays vibrant around the clock, the city is extending the operating hours of the cultural, arts and performance spaces it manages. We will continue working to create an atmosphere where residents can enjoy a variety of cultural spaces with family and friends after work, look after their physical and mental well-being, and spend their time energetically.”
[email protected] Seong Chorong Reporter