More than 300 museums and art institutions across South Korea will participate in the 2026 Museum and Gallery Week, a nationwide cultural festival organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, running from May 1 to May 31. The event adopts the theme "Museums Uniting a Divided World" from the International Council of Museums, and features three main programs: "Museum × Meet" highlighting 50 signature objects, "Museum × Enjoy" with exhibitions and performances at 18 institutions, and "Museum × Wander" offering guided tours connecting galleries with historic sites.
The initiative reflects a growing expectation that museums should serve as civic spaces for healing societal divisions, particularly in Korea where regional divides, generational tensions, and political polarization have intensified. By reframing museums as spaces of communication and inclusion, the government aims to stimulate domestic tourism beyond the Seoul metropolitan area while encouraging citizens to rediscover the value of culture and the arts in daily life.