Gwangjin-gu Opens Free Cultural Exhibition to Mark New District Office's First Anniversary

Gwangjin-gu (district mayor Kim Kyung-ho) is holding a special exhibition to mark the first anniversary of its new district office, celebrating a year of community engagement and sharing the value of local culture and the arts.

The special exhibition runs from June 1 through June 30 at Gallery Gwangjin, an open cultural space on the first floor of the new district office.

This year marks a meaningful milestone — the first full year since the new Gwangjin-gu district office opened. Over the past year, the office has worked to lower the threshold for public access, positioning itself as a "multi-purpose cultural space" and "open civic hall" where residents can drop in and unwind at any time. Rather than staging a large-scale anniversary ceremony, the district opted to prepare a cultural exhibition that any resident can enjoy as part of their daily life.

Co-hosted and organized by Gwangjin-gu and the Gwangjin Federation of Arts and Culture Organizations, the exhibition features members from three associations within the federation's exhibition division — the Writers' Association, the Fine Arts Association and the Photographers' Association — presenting a total of 34 works.

The works on display represent the creative output of artists based in Gwangjin. The Writers' Association contributes pieces that cast a warm eye on life, nature and the local community, while the Fine Arts Association showcases a variety of color palettes and original techniques. The Photographers' Association presents vivid images capturing everyday moments, the beauty of nature and the many faces of Gwangjin-gu.

Over the past year, the new district office has drawn praise for transforming its first-floor lobby and gallery — spaces with high public foot traffic — into a welcoming cultural retreat for residents by running a steady rotation of arts exhibitions and spatial programs, shifting the building's identity from a purely administrative facility to a community-centered gathering place.

The exhibition is expected to give residents an opportunity to experience local culture while raising the profile of creative work by artists in the community.

"It fills me with deep emotion to realize that a full year has already passed since the new district office opened, thanks to the warm support of our residents," district mayor Kim said. "The new office has grown into more than a place to pick up administrative documents — it has taken root as a cultural space where people linger. I hope many residents will come and spend meaningful time here, discovering the appeal of local culture and the arts."

Admission to the anniversary special exhibition is free and open to all visitors at Gallery Gwangjin throughout the run of the show.