After dark, Seoul's museums and cultural sites see attendance surge
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon takes part in a nighttime cultural tour at Gwanghwamun Square, Wednesday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Seoul’s museums, historic sites and cultural venues are drawing more visitors after dark, with attendance more than doubling since the city expanded evening opening hours for many popular spots in September.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that six major cultural attractions recorded approximately 1.198 million visitors from Sept. 15 to Oct. 31, up 110 percent from 569,000 from Aug. 1 to Sept. 14.
The increase followed an expansion of evening hours that allows select venues to remain open until 9 p.m. five days a week, giving residents and tourists more opportunities to explore the city after work.
More than 85,000 people visited the six venues between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. during the initial period, according to the city.
The participating attractions are Seoul Museum of History, Seoul Museum of Craft Art, Seoul Baekje Museum, Unhyeon Palace, Namsangol Hanok Village and the Story of Sejong and Story of Admiral Yi Sunshin exhibition halls at Gwanghwamun.
On Wednesday evening, Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited Seoul Museum of Craft Art, Unhyeon Palace and Sejong Center for the Performing Arts to experience nighttime programs and meet residents and young artists.
At Seoul Museum of Craft Art, Oh viewed an exhibition featuring 54 works by 35 artists from Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture's Sindang Creative Arcade program and spoke with five emerging craftspeople about their work and opportunities for young artists.
At Unhyeon Palace, he joined visitors in traditional games, including "tuho" — a game in which participants throw arrows into a narrow-necked container — and experienced a traditional tea ceremony.
At Sejong Center, he watched an outdoor jazz performance before joining a backstage tour of the Grand Theater.
The city said Unhyeon Palace recorded particularly strong growth, with average daily attendance rising from 886 to 2,200 after extended evening hours were introduced.
Oh said, "We are extending the operating hours of cultural, artistic and performance spaces managed by the city to create a Seoul that remains vibrant around the clock."
The city plans to refine its evening programs and connect cultural visits with nearby restaurants, cafes and other businesses.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.