Park Han-sol reports on Korea's financial regulators, along with fintech and insurance. She previously wrote about the art world, from biennales and exhibitions to fairs and auctions, with a focus on Seoul and the figures shaping the scene. Before joining The Korea Times, she spent a year at ABC News' Seoul bureau, contributing to coverage of major Asia-Pacific events.
Korea to hand out 2.1 mil. cultural vouchers Friday
A visitor views artist Kang Ik-joong's "Samramansang," featured in the "MMCA Collection: Korean Contemporary Art" exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, April 30. Newsis
By Park Han-sol
Starting Friday at 10 a.m., 2.1 million discount vouchers for performances and exhibitions held across Korea will be up for grabs.
Launched by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in partnership with the Korea Arts Management Service and the Arts Council Korea, the initiative seeks to make cultural experiences more accessible to all.
A total of 500,000 performance vouchers — each worth 10,000 won ($7.20) — and 1.6 million exhibition vouchers — each worth 3,000 won — will be available on a first-come, first-served basis through five online ticketing platforms: NOL Interpark, Melon Ticket, Time Ticket, Ticketlink and YES24.
Each person can claim up to two vouchers per platform, and the offer is also open to both foreigners and minors.
Eligible performances include plays, musicals, classical music concerts, traditional Korean music (gugak) and dance. K-pop concerts won't be eligible. Exhibition vouchers apply to museum shows, art fairs and biennales nationwide.
To receive the discount, vouchers must be applied at the time of online booking by Sept. 19, and are valid only for events taking place on or before Nov. 30.
As part of efforts to strengthen cultural engagement beyond the capital, Time Ticket will also issue two extra vouchers that can be used exclusively for events outside the greater Seoul area.
For more information, visit the ticketing platform websites.