Apart from late-night movies, most South Korean salaried workers previously weren’t able to enjoy arts or culture during the week, as most of the venues in the country including galleries, museums, and theaters used to close as they finished work.(Image: D Museum)
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) – An increasing number of arts and culture establishments in South Korea are opting to stay open late in an effort to attract a new target audience composed of salaried workers.
Apart from late-night movies, most South Korean salaried workers previously weren’t able to enjoy arts or culture during the week, as most of the venues in the country including galleries, museums, and theaters used to close as they finished work.
The latest move from the creative industry however is slowly changing the way average nine to six workers in South Korea consume arts and culture after work.
Daelim Museum, for instance, is open until 8 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday, while its Hannam branch D Museum stays open late throughout the last week of every month.
Last Saturday, D Museum held an event called “Sleepless Night”, which began at 9 p.m. then went on until midnight, during which visitors enjoyed an exhibition showcasing photos and videos under the theme of youth, as well as performances by electronic musicians.
“As it’s difficult for office workers to visit a museum that closes at 6 o’clock, our object was to give more people a chance to enjoy arts and culture at our museum. Some museums outside of South Korea open until 8 p.m. once a week,” a D Museum official said.
Another museum to join the trend is K Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened last December.
From Tuesday to Thursday, the museum’s opening hours extend to 10 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday, it closes even later – at 11 p.m.
“With most restaurants in the area remaining open until late at night, we thought the location was fitting to open the museum. Though we are not well-known as of yet, an increasing number of small groups of office employees are visiting us,” an official at K Museum said.
With a daily floating population in the neighborhood estimated around 9,000, the museum expects to reach a break-even point with 3,000 daily visitors during the week and 6,000 on the weekend.
The latest move from the creative industry however is slowly changing the way average nine to six workers in South Korea consume arts and culture after work.(Image: National Theater Company of Korea)
The National Theater Company of Korea’s (NTOK) play “This is not romance” will also get the late-night treatment, as a nightly rendition of the 100-minute-long play will take the stage next month from 9.30 p.m.
“Previous shows that started at 8 p.m. were a little too early for office workers, but 9.30 p.m. Friday shows going into the weekend allow a much more relaxed viewing,” an NTOK official said.
M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
