Four institutions join forces to launch K-Treasure Road project in November

Four public institutions and private companies have joined forces to build a cultural tourism route connecting Seoul's Seongsu-dong to regional museums across the country. The plan uses a mixed-use cultural space in Seongsu-dong as a hub to draw visitors toward destinations outside the capital.

The Korea Visit Year Committee, SK Telecom, the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Korea Cultural Foundation announced Monday they will pursue the public-private partnership initiative known as the K-Treasure Road project, with plans to expand it in phases through 2027.

Each institution has been assigned a distinct role. The Korea Visit Year Committee will serve as the coordinating link among the other three partners, overseeing project planning, on-site operations and promotions to bring in a broad range of participants. SK Telecom will provide its T Factory Seongsu space as the project's base during the collaboration and will co-produce exhibitions and content with the Korea Visit Year Committee. The National Museum of Korea will handle content development through expert review, while the National Museum of Korea Cultural Foundation will co-plan and produce "Muds," the museum's merchandise line.

The Korea Visit Year Committee plans to establish a visitor route linking T Factory Seongsu to the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan and to regional museums around the country, while partnering with local small businesses and private companies to boost regional tourism. The four institutions will launch the project with an opening event in November and roll it out in stages from there.

Han Hye-ri, secretary-general of the Korea Visit Year Committee, said the project carries significant meaning as a new model of public-private cooperation that bridges the spatial and content capabilities of the private sector with the cultural assets of public institutions. "We expect that the successful establishment of a cultural tourism route — starting in Seongsu-dong, passing through the National Museum of Korea and extending to regional museums across the country — will serve as a genuine catalyst for spreading regional tourism, which is at the heart of what the Visit Korea Year initiative aims to achieve," she said.