SEOUL, June 15 (AJP) - To spread the value of their cultural heritage and increase mutual understanding, the National Museum of Korea and Italy's Uffizi Gallery have signed an agreement to exchange exhibitions and staff, Korea's iconic museum said Sunday.
According to the National Museum of Korea's statement, its Director Yoo Hong-jun and Uffizi Gallery's Director Simone Verde signed the agreement in Florence, Italy, on Saturday. The two museums will work together on sharing art, educational programs, and restoring historical pieces. This partnership follows South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Italy.
The Uffizi Gallery is famous for its Renaissance art, holding masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli. The iconic South Korean museum plans to use this new partnership to bring some of these famous works to Seoul for local audiences.
The agreement comes at a time when the main state-operated museum is seeing record-breaking popularity. The museum welcomed 3,255,160 visitors between January and May of this year, which is a 45.2 percent increase from the same period last year. Foreign visitor numbers also jumped 57.8 percent during this time, reaching 122,024 people.
Experts believe the museum could reach 7 million total visitors this year, easily passing last year's record of 6.5 million. This steady growth is driven by popular special exhibitions and new programs that draw larger crowds, including families and international tourists.
Before signing the agreement, the two directors met on June 12 to discuss bringing Italian masterpieces to Seoul. "Our museum has been holding special exhibitions every year to introduce collections from world-class museums," Yoo said, adding: "We hope to be able to introduce masterpieces from the Uffizi Gallery, such as Botticelli, in South Korea."
In response, Verde noted the growing global influence of South Korean culture. "I want to introduce the Uffizi Gallery's collection in South Korea," Verde said.
"This agreement is very meaningful because the National Museum of Korea and the Uffizi Gallery have taken their first step towards cooperation," Yoo said. "I look forward to continuing substantive exchange in various fields, such as exhibition, research, and education, based on the academic capabilities and collections that both institutions have accumulated."
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