Clayarch Gimhae Museum and Yunsul Museum, operated by the Gimhae Cultural Tourism Foundation, have both received certification from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism under the '2026 Public Art Museum Certification' program.
Clayarch Gimhae Museum achieved the highest rating among public art museums in Gyeongnam, while Yunsul Museum, which was not certified in 2023, regained its certification after improving its collection acquisition and operational systems.
On October 27, the Gimhae Cultural Tourism Foundation announced that both museums were selected as certified institutions in this year's public art museum evaluation. All five public art museums evaluated in Gyeongnam received certification, including the two museums affiliated with the foundation.
The public art museum certification program is conducted every three years by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism under the Museum and Art Museum Promotion Act. This year, the operational performance of 73 public art museums nationwide for the years 2023 to 2025 was evaluated, with 66 institutions passing the initial written evaluation and undergoing on-site assessments.
The evaluation criteria included five categories: achievement of establishment purpose (15 points), organizational, personnel, facility, and financial management (25 points), collection management (20 points), exhibition and education performance (30 points), and public accountability (10 points).
Clayarch Gimhae Museum scored the highest overall in Gyeongnam, surpassing the Gyeongnam Provincial Museum. It successfully achieved certification for the third consecutive time, with the highest score in the 'achievement of establishment purpose' category at 95.9 points, significantly above the national average of 77.2 points.
The foundation noted that the museum's focus on architectural ceramics and its actual business outcomes were reflected in the evaluation. The score for 'organizational, personnel, facility, and financial management' was also above the national average, at 78.2 points compared to 70.2 points. However, financial management remains an area for improvement.
The museum has implemented a system for regular inspections and has utilized visitor analysis statistics and collection research data in its evaluations. It also presented results from educational and experiential programs aimed at underserved communities.
Maintaining its specialization in architectural ceramics while fulfilling its public role as a public art museum was also highlighted as a significant achievement by the foundation.
Yunsul Museum did not receive certification in the 2023 evaluation, primarily due to insufficient collection acquisition.
A foundation official explained, "At that time, there was no budget allocated for collection acquisition from the local government, which prevented us from purchasing artworks. After the lack of certification, Gimhae City recognized the need for securing collections and has been continuously allocating related budgets."
The secured budget is also being used to purchase works from local artists. The museum has addressed shortcomings in overall operations, including collection management, research, exhibitions, education, and visitor engagement.
As a result, Yunsul Museum's overall score this year rose to 87.1 points, an increase of 20.1 points from 2023. This score is 10.3 points higher than the national average of 76.8 points, making it the third highest among public art museums in Gyeongnam. All five evaluation categories exceeded the national average.
The foundation official stated, "While we prepared to receive certification, various functions in the museum's operations have improved. We believe the results reflect the efforts made to address the shortcomings since the 2023 lack of certification."
The recovery of Yunsul Museum's certification is also linked to the exhibition activities of local artists.
In Gimhae, there is a shortage of exhibition spaces for local artists to showcase their work, leading to high demand for Yunsul Museum's rental services. Having exhibitions at a public art museum is significant for artists' career development, according to the foundation.
The foundation official added, "For local artists, the fact that they exhibited at a public art museum can be an important part of their career. The trust associated with being a certified museum also impacts artists' activities, which is why we valued Yunsul Museum's re-certification highly."
Even if a museum does not receive certification in the public art museum evaluation, it does not lead to the suspension of operations or direct penalties. However, the significance of certification is considerable, given the trust as a public cultural facility and the exhibition environment it provides for local artists.
In addition to Clayarch Gimhae Museum and Yunsul Museum, Gimhae City also operates Kim Young-won Museum, which was excluded from this year's evaluation as it has not yet met the three-year requirement since registration.
Lee Tae-ho, director of Clayarch Gimhae Museum, stated, "Clayarch Gimhae Museum's top ranking in Gyeongnam and third consecutive certification, along with Yunsul Museum's re-certification after three years, are results of our staff's continuous efforts and systematic operations. We will continue to provide high-quality exhibitions and regionally tailored educational programs."
The foundation plans to incorporate the evaluation results into the long-term operational plans for both museums, securing budgets for exhibitions and collection acquisitions, and enhancing professional staffing. They aim to maintain certification in the next evaluation in 2029. The current certification status and detailed evaluation results have been communicated to the relevant local government authorities.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is expected to announce the final results in December after the appeals process.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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