Yoo Hong-June and Jeong Jaeseung Discuss the "Museum of the Future"... Museum and Art Gallery Expo to Be Held

151 Institutions Including the National Museum of Korea to Participate
Event to Be Held in Daejeon, September 18–20

Global Experts from Organizations Including the Smithsonian and ICOM to Join International Academic Conference

On September 16, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that, in cooperation with the Korean Museum Association and Daejeon Metropolitan City, it will hold the ‘2026 Museum and Art Gallery Expo’ at Daejeon Convention Center (DCC) from the 18th to the 20th.

Poster for the '2026 Museum and Art Gallery Expo' to be held at Daejeon Convention Center from the 18th to the 20th. A total of 151 institutions, including the National Museum of Korea, will participate and operate over 380 booths. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

This will be the third edition of the event, following the inaugural 2024 expo in Busan and last year’s event in Gwangju. This year, the expo will be held under the theme, “K-Culture: Museums Shaping the Future – Expansion, Transformation, Forward-Looking,” exploring the cultural value and social role of museums and galleries, and offering a glimpse into the future of museums integrated with digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). A total of 151 institutions—including national, public, private, and university museums and art galleries, local governments, and related companies—will participate, operating over 380 booths.

The event venue will feature museum and gallery exhibition and promotion booths, as well as 10 free experience and educational programs. There will also be a “Realistic Content Zone,” where 17 immersive contents such as “Tiger God Excitement” by the National Folk Museum of Korea and “Invitation to Gyeonggi Scholars’ Banquet” by Gyeonggi Provincial Museum will be screened continuously. Other offerings include a tour program covering six museums and galleries in the Daejeon and South Chungcheong regions—including the National Science Museum and National Gongju Museum—career consulting for industry job seekers, talks with museum directors, and cultural performances.

Sixty-nine institutions participating in ‘Museum Ieum,’ a program for regional circuit exhibitions among public, private, and university museums and galleries, will also join this year’s expo. Visitors will be able to experience hands-on booths and special exhibitions from museums such as the Gimpo Tea Ceremony Museum, Yonsei University Museum, and The Rimi Art Museum all in one place. A stamp tour connecting the participating booths will also be held.

As part of the expert programs, the ‘20th Korea Museum International Academic Conference’ will be held. Keynote speakers include Yoo Hong-June, Director of the National Museum of Korea; Chase Robinson, Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art; Professor Jeong Jaeseung of KAIST; and Bae Kidong, President of Museums and Museum People. Eighteen organizations, including academic societies related to museums and art museums, will also participate to share their research achievements and field cases.

Jung Hyangmi, policy chief of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, “Museums and art galleries are the solid roots that support K-Culture,” and added, “We will strive to ensure that these institutions become spaces where people can enjoy culture as part of their daily lives, wherever they are.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.