Celebrating the 2025 Korea Art Festival Across Korea in September

Bringing Korean Art to the Global Stage with Three Art Fairs, including KIAF Seoul and Frieze Seoul, and Seven Biennales

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister CHAE Hwi-young, MCST), in collaboration with the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS), is hosting the 2025 Korea Art Festival at venues nationwide from September 1 (Monday) to 30 (Tuesday). The festival showcases the vitality of today’s Korean art while building bridges with the global art community. Major domestic biennales, art fairs, and leading art institutions have come together to present a rich panorama of artistic celebrations.

Marking its second year, the 2025 Korea Art Festival has expanded its collaboration to a wider range of events, including seven biennales—Seoul Mediacity Biennale, Cheongju Craft Biennale, Busan Sea Art Festival (also known as the Busan Biennale), Daegu Photo Biennale, Gwangju Design Biennale, Jeonnam International Sumuk Biennale, and World Calligraphy Jeonbuk Biennale—and three art fair—KIAF Seoul, Frieze Seoul, and ASYAAF (Asian Students and Young Artists Art Festival).

Celebrating 2025 Korea Art Festival with special admission discounts, exhibition discount vouchers, and rail tour package products

For the occasion, MCST is offering special discounts on admission tickets. Since June 16, admission to major events such as KIAF and Frieze Seoul, and the Jeonnam International Sumuk Biennale has been offered at up to 50% discounts. Backed by strong demand, tickets for Cheongju Craft Biennale sold out in just half a day, while KIAF-Frieze tickets were gone within two days. These were quickly followed by sell-outs for the Gwangju Design Biennale and ASYAAF. Despite the sell-out of special discount tickets, visitors can still take advantage of additional exhibition vouchers sponsored by MCST through five online platforms (NOL Interpark, Melon Ticket, Time Ticket, Ticket Link, and YES 24) that offer discounted admission tickets for each event, including ASYAAF, Gwangju Design Biennale, Cheongju Craft Biennale, and Jeonnam International Sumuk Biennale. Visitors are advised to check with each booking platform for detailed ticketing information.

Art tour programs, must-see exhibitions, and a wide range of events, including opportunities to engage with the international art community

Tickets for art tour programs have also been available since August 18 via the official Korea Art Festival website (https://www.k-artfestival.com). The tour programs allow visitors to explore regional art museums and attractions accompanied by professional guides. MCST also designed special programs for foreign residents in Korea and socially vulnerable groups to ensure inclusivity during the festival.

To further expand the global reach of Korean art, the festival will also host Dive into Korean art: Seoul. The program will invite leading global art professionals to studios of Korean artists, where they can enjoy lectures on Korean art and engage in exchanges with the local art community. Exhibitions will also extend to major international airports (Incheon, Gimpo, and Gimhae), which serve as gateways for incoming international visitors, with displays of Korean art ranging from media art to sculpture.

“The Korea Art Festival is beyond a simple series of exhibitions. It will be a venue for Korean art to breathe together with the public and serve as a starting point to communicate on the global stage,” said the minister. “We will continue to create opportunities for people to encounter works of excellence and for artists to showcase their creations on bigger stages, thereby solidifying the foundation of Korea’s art ecosystem.”