The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency on Oct. 28 announced their open call until Jan. 18 for an organization to operate the tentatively named National Games Museum of Korea and proposals for potential sites.

By Lee Dasom

The tentatively named National Games Museum of Korea will document the history and value of the country's video games, which have helped drive the global expansion of domestic content.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) on Oct. 28 announced their launch of an open call ending on Jan. 18 for an operator of the planned facility and proposals for potential sites.

The purpose is to recognize such games as a quintessential part of contemporary Korean cultural heritage and record and preserve their history and significance at the national level.

The museum will be a space for researching, collecting and preserving artifacts and materials related to the development of domestic games, as well as hosting exhibitions, training and hands-on activities to promote the cultural significance of the sector to the public.

Nonprofit organizations, local governments and institutions launched or funded by local governments are eligible to apply.

Applicants can either own a proposed site or partner with the owners or rights holders of the land or buildings. An arrangement in which multiple organizations share responsibilities is also an option.

The winning site spanning the land and buildings needs a combined floor area of at least 1,652 square m and the ability to accommodate museum functions such as exhibitions, training and archival storage. It must also allow free use for at least 20 years.

KOCCA will form an evaluation committee of experts in fields like museums, architecture and gaming to select the site through a two-stage process. The first phase is review of written proposals and presentations and the second is on-site evaluation.

dlektha0319@korea.kr