CLAD has learned that the South Korean government plans to trigger a building boom in the museums and cultural sector, with the construction of 140 new museums and 46 new art galleries by 2023.

The policy was announced by the country's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

The move is part of a new five-year plan aimed at making Korean art and artefacts more accessible and doubling the proportion of the population that engages with museums.

Should the targets be hit, the country will have more than a thousand museums and around 300 art galleries. The government hopes tax deductions on museum and art gallery admission fees, which take effect on 1 July, will help to meet the goal.

As well as the bricks and mortar aspect of these institutions, the plan also details plans for the expansion of the nation's conservation system for collections and the creation of new online and mobile systems to deliver information on exhibitions.

The National Museum of Korea has already developed a cultural heritage management system, allowing institutions to manage their collections digitally and share information with other participating institutions. The system has mostly been used by museums, but will now be remodelled for art galleries.

Meanwhile, an art and artefacts conservation system in use at state-run museums will be extended to those run by regional governments. An app to provide information on nearby museums and galleries is in development, and a "smart museum/art gallery" system using AR and VR technology will be introduced for state-run institutions.

Several incentives are being considered or implemented to encourage private and regional activity. Among them, the state government has said it will meet up to 50 per cent of construction costs when a regional government wishes to build large scale storage for artwork and relics, while a tax incurred when transferring ownership of an institution into private hands is to be reduced.