Gyeongnam ranks among Korea’s most active regions for arts and culture

(Photo by Gyeongnam Province/courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)

Gyeongnam province has emerged as one of South Korea’s leading regions for cultural and artistic activity, establishing itself as a key cultural hub outside the capital area.

According to the Arts Yearbook 2025 published by the Arts Council Korea in January, Gyeongnam recorded 2,743 cultural and artistic activities in 2024, ranking fourth nationwide after Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Busan.

This places the province at the top tier among non-capital metropolitan regions.

Gyeongnam ranked first nationwide for the proportion of performances held at public cultural facilities, highlighting the role of public venues such as the Gyeongnam Culture & Arts Center and municipal theaters as central spaces for everyday cultural engagement.

The visual arts sector was particularly active, with 956 exhibitions held throughout the year, ranking third nationwide.

Overall activity has shown steady growth, rising from 2,244 events in 2022 to 2,517 in 2023 and reaching 2,743 in 2024. Cultural activities per 100,000 residents also increased over the same period.

The province attributes this growth to continued investment in public cultural infrastructure, locally tailored arts support programs, and sustained backing for regional performing arts festivals.

Fleet Chinhae