This is an aerial view of the National Museum Complex in Sejong set for completion by 2030. (National Agency for Administrative City Construction)

 
By Park Hyeri

The National Folk Museum by 2030 will be relocated to a massive cultural complex to house five other public museums in the administrative center of Sejong Special Self-governing City.

The National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC) on May 20 said the Museum of Urban Architecture (opening in 2026), Design Museum (2027), Digital Cultural Heritage Center (2027) and National Archives Museum (2028) will join the National Children's Museum, which opened last year on Dec. 26 within the National Museum Complex of Korea.

Also called Sejong Museum Gardens, the complex is a massive cultural facility bringing together national museums and integrated support facilities to enhance their synergistic effect through linking the museums.

Construction began in December 2020 following the 2012 signing of a memorandum of understanding by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Heritage Service (formerly the Cultural Heritage Administration) in recognition of the importance of balanced cultural development.

The NAACC expects the complex to serve as a cultural space representing the nation's central region when the folk museum in Seoul moves in by 2030.

The children's museum is the country's first stand-alone facility of its kind, averaging 2,000 weekly visitors. It provides a variety of learning experiences for children at permanent exhibition halls displaying materials such as those of urban architecture, design, cultural heritage and archival culture, which are also the themes of museums slated to launch later.

The museum also runs exhibitions under the theme of Earth.

The architecture museum will lead the development of domestic architecture and culture by promoting the country's excellent architectural heritage and preserving urban development technologies. Its design counterpart will collect, store and display indigenous designs to obtain design competitiveness and spur the creation of new designs.

The Digital Cultural Heritage Center will host exhibitions of cultural heritage using digital technologies, and the archives museum will offer information on the nation's archival culture.

The NAACC will also fill the complex's remaining 71,000 square m by looking for additional museums and art galleries and quickly build them through talks with relevant ministries.

NAACC Administrator Kim Hyeong-ryeol said, "By organically linking the National Museum Complex with the surrounding cultural and leisure facilities, we'll do our best to fulfill the Yoon administration's national task of universal cultural welfare that enriches everyday life." 

This is an aerial view of the Museum of Urban Architecture, which will open in 2026 at the National Museum Complex in Sejong. (National Museum Complex of Korea's official website)

This is an aerial view of the Design Museum, which is slated to open in 2027 at the National Museum Complex in Sejong. (National Museum Complex of Korea's official website)

hrhr@korea.kr