South Korea's cultural market continues to expand annually, yet the gap between the Seoul metropolitan area and other regions shows no signs of narrowing. Despite government slogans promoting "balanced regional development" and a "regional era," the share of local cultural markets is actually shrinking. This contraction is widespread across performances, exhibitions, and cultural heritage sectors, requiring a government-wide response.
According to the "2025 Performance Market Ticket Sales Analysis Report" released on the 15th by the Korea Arts Management Service under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, domestic performance ticket sales reached 1.7326 trillion won last year. The Seoul metropolitan area—comprising Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province—accounted for 82.7% of sales, leaving non-metropolitan regions with just 17.3%.
The non-metropolitan share fell from 22.6% in 2023 to 20.9% in 2024, dropping below 20% last year. While overall performance ticket sales grew 18.8% year-over-year, metropolitan area sales surged 24.6% while non-metropolitan sales declined 1.3%.
By genre, the Seoul metropolitan area captured 83.6% of popular music ticket sales, with non-metropolitan regions accounting for only 16.4%. Popular music represents 56.7% of the total performance market. Other genres showed similar metropolitan concentration: theater at 87.1%, musicals at 82.9%, dance at 81.5%, Western classical music at 75.5%, and traditional Korean music at 74.2%.
"While performances previously overly concentrated in Seoul are showing signs of spreading to Gyeonggi and Incheon, the metropolitan area still accounts for most supply and demand," a Ministry official said. "We will work to ensure citizens nationwide can access diverse, high-quality performances through practical support that helps regional performing arts develop self-sufficiency."
Museums experiencing increased visitors due to the recent hit webtoon "K-Pop Demon Hunters" face similar disparities. The National Museum of Korea in Seoul, which directly benefited from the series, saw attendance reach 6.5 million last year—a 71.5% increase from the previous year. However, the 13 regional national museums recorded a combined 8.2 million visitors, up only 15.2%.
Among regional museums, only a few benefited: the Gyeongju National Museum, which held a special exhibition of "Six Gold Crowns," saw a 45.6% increase, while the Buyeo National Museum, which created a dedicated hall for the Baekje Gilt-bronze Incense Burner, grew 37.7%. Meanwhile, half of the regional museums—including those in Chuncheon, Gwangju, Jeonju, Daegu, Gimhae, and Jeju—saw attendance decline.
The art market shows little difference. According to the "2025 Art Market Survey" report (based on 2024 data), non-metropolitan visitors to public art museums accounted for just 39.8%, with 60.2% concentrated in the Seoul area. Metropolitan concentration of art infrastructure is notable: 71.4% of all galleries and 10 of 12 auction houses are located in Seoul, while 63.9% of art fairs were held in the metropolitan area (including Gangwon Province).
Despite these conditions, government measures remain inadequate. In its recent presidential briefing, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism presented only piecemeal solutions under "Bridging Regional Cultural Gaps": a "This Is Coming to Our Neighborhood Too" project, differentiated support for youth culture passes (150,000 won for metropolitan areas, 200,000 won for non-metropolitan), and region-specific reading programs.
Meanwhile, plans to build a large arena venue with over 50,000 seats—scheduled to begin construction around 2030—are being pursued in the metropolitan area. Additionally, plans are emerging for a second building of the National Museum of Korea near its current Seoul location, potentially widening the gap between metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions further.