CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1 (Purpose) The purpose of this Ordinance is to prescribe the matters necessary for the management and operation of Seoul Metropolitan City’s museums, thereby seeking the efficient operation of the museums and enhancing the general public’s enjoyment of culture. The Seoul Metropolitan City museums governed by this Ordinance are as listed in the Annex. <Amended on Oct. 17, 2022>

CHAPTER II OPERATION Article 2 (Opening and Closure Dates) The museums of Seoul Metropolitan City (hereinafter referred to as the "Museums") shall open every day, other than on the following holidays, and their exhibitions shall be open to the general public.<Amended on Oct. 17, 2022>
1. January 1;
2. Every Monday (Provided, however, that the Museums shall not close on Mondays that fall on public holidays under Article 2 of the Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices or substitute public holidays under Article 3 of the same);
3. Closure dates determined by the Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor (hereinafter referred to as the “Mayor”).

Article 3 (Hours and Admissions) (1) The Museums’ opening hours shall be as follows: <Amended on May 19, 2025>
1. Summer months (Mar.‒Oct.): 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and public holidays;
2. Winter months (Nov.‒following Feb.): 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(2) Tickets can be purchased from 9 a.m. to one hour before closing.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), the Mayor may adjust the opening hours and admissions when Museum operations are affected by or subject to special circumstances.

Article 4 (Admission Fees) (1) The Museums shall be free to visit in principle.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Museums may collect admission fees from visitors for Museums’ own planned exhibitions or for exhibitions in rented exhibition halls: Provided, however, that when an entity permitted a rental (hereinafter referred to as a “renter”) holds a rental exhibition, the admission fees for such exhibition shall be determined by advance consultation with the Mayor.
(3) If a person who has paid an admission fee cancels the visit, the admission fee shall be refunded. <Added on Oct. 5, 2020>

Article 5 (Admission Fee Waiver) (1) Notwithstanding Article 4 (2), admission fees shall not be collected from any of the following persons:<Amended on Sep. 26, 2019; May 20, 2021; Oct. 17, 2022; Mar. 26, 2024; Sep. 30, 2024; May 19, 2025>
1. State guests, diplomatic delegations, and their retinue;
2. Persons of distinguished service to the state, their survivors, and their family members governed by the Act on the Honorable Treatment of and Support for Persons of Distinguished Service to the State;
3. Persons of distinguished service to Korean independence, their survivors, and their family members, as governed by the Act on the Honorable Treatment of Persons of Distinguished Service to Independence;
4. Persons prescribed in the subparagraphs of Article 17 (2) 1 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Honorable Treatment of and Support for Persons Who Have Died or Been Injured for the Public Good;
5. Persons with disabilities under the Act on the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities and one accompanying guardian each;
6. Persons falling under subparagraph 2 of Article 2 of the Act on the Honorable Treatment of War Veterans and Establishment of Related Associations;
7. Persons falling under any of the subparagraphs of Article 8-3 of the Act on Assistance to Patients Suffering from Actual or Potential After Effects of Defoliants and Establishment of Related Organizations;
8. Persons falling under any of the subparagraphs of Article 52 (1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Honorable Treatment of Persons of Distinguished Service to the May 18 Democratization Movement and Establishment of Related Organizations;
9. Persons falling under Article 58 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Honorable Treatment of Persons of Distinguished Service During Special Missions and Establishment of Related Organizations;
10. Registered ex-prisoners of war under subparagraph 5 of Article 2 of the Act on the Repatriation, Treatment of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces Prisoners of War, and family members of prisoners of war from the places of detention under subparagraph 3 of that Article;
11. Persons seeking access to perform public-official duties;
12. Children aged seven years or younger and seniors aged 65 years or older;
13. Holders of the Dadungi Happiness Card (including family members entered on the card);
14. Persons who have contributed to the development of the Museums, such as by donating artifacts;
15. Persons awarded Seoul Metropolitan City “Honorary Citizen” certificates;
16. Holders of the “Prestigious Military Service Family” certificate subject to the honorable treatment of prestigious military service families under Article 2 of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Honorable Treatment of Prestigious Military Service Families;
17. Persons falling under any of the subparagraphs of Article 67-5 (1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Support for Persons Eligible for Veterans’ Compensation;
18. Veterans under Article 2 (1) 2 and 3 of the Support for Veterans Act;
19. Pregnant women and new mothers under the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Honorable Treatment and Support of Maternity;
20. Other persons deemed especially necessary by the Mayor for Museum operations.
(2) The Mayor shall operate the following as “free admission” days:
1. The fourth Sunday of every month;
2. Lunar New Year’s Day, Chuseok, and Children’s Day;
3. National holidays falling under subparagraph 2 of Article 2 of the Regulations on Public Holidays of Government Offices.
(3) If necessary, the Mayor may designate a period other than the days in the subparagraphs of paragraph (2) for free admission, or compel the renter to do so.

Article 6 (Admission Tickets) (1) The Mayor may issue admission tickets to persons who seek admission.
(2) The standards and issuance of admission tickets shall be determined by the relevant rules.
(3) During rental exhibitions, the selling and taking of admissions tickets shall be the renters’ responsibility.
(4) If deemed necessary for the operation of the Museums, the Mayor may recruit Museum members and operate a Museum membership program.

Article 7 (Admission Restrictions) The Mayor may restrict the admission of any of the following persons: <Amended on Oct. 5, 2020; Jul. 20, 2021>
1. Children aged six years or younger who are unaccompanied by a guardian;
2. A person who disturbs or interferes with, or may disturb or interfere with, other visitors’ viewing experience;
3. Deleted<Oct. 5, 2020>
4. A person who is accompanied by a pet animal;
5. Other persons whom the Mayor deems necessary to bar from admission for the protection of the exhibits, etc., or for the maintenance of order.

Article 8 (Restricted Acts) (1) Visitors may not engage in any of the following acts in unauthorized Museum spaces:
1. Smoking, eating food, or drinking alcohol;
2. Lighting or filming without a Museum custodian’s approval;
3. Touching any exhibit without permission;
4. Causing a nuisance to other visitors, such as loud speech or disorderly behavior or dancing etc..
(2) The Mayor may demand that a person engaging in any activity in the foregoing subparagraphs of paragraph (1) vacate the premises.

Article 9 (Payment of Damages) A visitor who is found to have destroyed, soiled or damaged a Museum’s own exhibition or a Museum facility shall pay damages; the amount shall be decided by the Museum’s Steering Committee after seeking expert advice.

Article 9-2 (Visitation Statistics) The Mayor shall manage the current statistics on the number of Museum visitors, etc. (including those who visit free of charge) based on fair and objective criteria.
[This Article Newly Inserted on Mar. 27, 2025]

CHAPTER III MUSEUM STEERING COMMITTEE Article 10 (Committee)

Article 11 (Committee Composition) (1) Each Committee shall be composed of at least 10 but no more than 15 members, including a Chairperson, with at least 50% of the members being external members; and the Mayor shall commission members from among the following persons: Provided, however, that the President of the Museum (hereinafter referred to as the “Museum President”) shall be an ex officio member:<Amended on Oct. 17, 2022; Dec. 30, 2022>
1. A person with extensive knowledge and experience in a field of expertise relevant to the Museum;
2. An employee of an institution or organization relevant to the Museum;
3. A Seoul Metropolitan Council member of a competent standing committee;
4. Other persons whose advice on the operation of the Museum is deemed necessary by the Mayor.
(2) A member’s term of office shall be two years, and it may be renewed: Provided, however, that a substitute member’s term of office shall be the remainder of the predecessor’s term of office, while the terms of office of the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s members and ex officio members shall be the period they are in office.
(3) The Mayor may decommission committee members before their terms expire, under Article 8-2 of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of Various Committees. <Amended on Jul. 24, 2023>

Article 12 (Committee Functions) Each Committee shall deliberate and advise on the Museum’s operations, such as exhibitions, research, information collection, and education; the rental of core facilities in subparagraph 1 of Article 17; and other matters which the Mayor refers to a meeting.<Amended on Dec. 31, 2019>

Article 13 (Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson) (1) Each Committee shall have one Chairperson and one Vice-Chairperson.
(2) The Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson shall be elected by and from among the members of the Committee, excluding ex officio members, with their terms of office being the periods they are in office.
(3) The Chairperson shall represent the Committee, convene its meetings, and chair its meetings.
(4) The Vice-Chairperson shall assist the Chairperson and perform the Chairperson’s duties by proxy in the event that the Chairperson is unable to do so.

Article 14 (Meetings of the Committee) (1) Each Committee meeting shall be convened by the Chairperson or the Museum President at the request of the Mayor or that of at least 1/3 of the members on the register.
(2) The Chairperson or the Museum President, when seeking to convene a meeting, shall notify each member of the date and time, venue, and agenda of the meeting at least 15 days in advance of the meeting date. <Amended on Jul. 24, 2023>
(3) A Committee shall make a resolution by the attendance of the majority of the members on the register and the affirmative vote of a majority of the attending members.
(4) A member falling under any of the following shall be excluded from the deliberation and resolution of the Committee: <Amended on Oct. 17, 2022>
1. When a member, a member’s spouse, or a former spouse is a party involved in an item of agenda (including an officer where the involved party is a corporation, organization, etc.; hereinafter the same shall apply), or is a holder of joint rights or joint obligor with a party involved in the item of agenda;
2. When a member is or was a family member of a party involved in the agenda;
3. When a member has consulted, researched, contracted (including subcontracting), appraised, or investigated in connection with the agenda;
4. When a member or a corporation, organization, etc. with which a member is affiliated is or was an agent of a party involved in the agenda.
(5) A party involved in the agenda may apply to the Committee to challenge a member if there is cause to doubt the fairness of that member’s deliberation and resolution, about which the Committee shall make a decision. In such event, the member subject to the application to challenge may not participate in the resolution. <Added on Oct. 17, 2022>
(6) A member falling under any cause for exclusion under the subparagraphs of paragraph (4) shall recuse himself or herself from the deliberation and resolution of the agenda. <Added on Oct. 17, 2022>
(7) A member who fails to recuse himself or herself despite falling under any of the subparagraphs of paragraph (4) may be decommissioned after a resolution of the Committee. <Added on Oct. 17, 2022>

Article 15 (Member Compensation) A member participating in a Committee may be paid the necessary expenses, such as compensation and travel costs, within the available budget: Provided, however, that a member who is a public official participating in direct connection with public official duties shall not be paid compensation as a member.

CHAPTER IV RENTAL, ETC. Article 16 (Rental Permit) The Mayor may permit the rental of Museum facilities for exhibitions, events, etc. that may contribute to the development of civic culture and the arts, to the extent that they do not interfere with Museum operations.

Article 17 (Scope of Rental) The scope of Museums’ core and annexed facilities (hereinafter referred to as “rental facilities”) that may be rented are as follows: <Amended on Dec. 31, 2019; May 19, 2025>
1. Core facilities: Exhibition halls.
2. Annexed facilities: Lecture halls, seminar rooms, audiovisual rooms, and other indoors and outdoors spaces.

Article 18 (Application for Rental Permit) A person or e entity seeking to rent any rental facility shall in principle fill in an application for a rental permit and apply via the online reservation system as determined by the relevant rules, and such person or entity may also apply via mail, in-person visit, etc. as a supplementary means. <Amended on Oct. 17, 2022>

Article 19 (Rental Permit Review) (1) The Mayor, upon receiving an application for a rental permit under Article 18, shall decide whether to permit the rental and notify the result to the applicant.
(2) The Mayor, upon receiving an application for a rental permit for a core facility in subparagraph 1 of Article 17, shall decide whether to permit the rental after review by the competent Committee.
(3) Minutes shall be kept for a review of a rental permit under paragraph (2), and the results shall be disclosed on the website. <Added on Oct. 17, 2022>

Article 20 (Restrictions on Rental Permits) The Mayor may refuse to permit a rental where it is found to be unsuitable to the operation of the Museum, or where the review of the Committee finds it inappropriate.

Article 21 (Rental Hours) (1) The renter’s hours of use of the rented facility shall in principle be within the hours stipulated under Article 2.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the renter may extend the rental hours with the Mayor’s approval under special circumstances.

Article 22 (Rental Fees) (1) The renter shall pay the rental fee by five days before the planned rental date: Provided, however, that the renter may be permitted to pay the rental fee by the day before the event if the Mayor deems that the renter is compelled to do so by an unavoidable cause.
(2) The rental fee shall include the rent for the rented facility and the rent for annexed facilities, such as air conditioning and heating.
(3) The rent for the rented facility shall be collected pursuant to the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Management of Public Property and Goods. <Amended on Mar. 26, 2024>
(4) The rent for annexed facilities, such as air conditioning and heating, shall be assessed and collected pursuant to urban gas or electricity billing.
(5) Paid rental fees shall not be returned: Provided, however, that the same shall not apply where the renter is unable to use the rented facility due to a cause not attributable to the renter.

Article 23 (Rental Fee Discount) On the advice of the competent Committee, the Mayor may discount the rental fees for events held, administered, or sponsored by the City.

Article 24 (Cancellation of Rental Permit, Etc.) The Mayor may cancel the rental permit, or restrict or suspend the utilization of the rented facility, under any of the following circumstances:
1. In the event that the renter violates this Ordinance or any rule under this Ordinance;
2. In the event that rented facility cannot be utilized due to force majeure such as a disaster.

Article 25 (Renter’s Obligations) (1) The renter shall uphold a fiduciary duty of care for the rented facilities and installations during the rental period.
(2) The renter may not assign rights to use the rented facility to a third party without obtaining the Mayor’s prior approval.

Article 26 (Renter Liability) The renter shall in principle restore to the original state any Museum facility or installation that is damaged by the renter’s failure to uphold the duty of care under Article 25 (1): Provided, however, that if the restoration of a damaged Museum facility or installation to its original state is infeasible, damages shall be paid, with the renter in principle to be held wholly liable for the management of exhibits, etc., due to the rental.

CHAPTER V SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS Article 27 (Installation and Operation of Amenities) (1) The Mayor may install and operate the following amenities inside and outside Museums for the convenience of visitors:
1. Cultural goods shops, food and beverage shops;
2. Other amenities such as attached parking lots deemed necessary by the Mayor.
(2) If necessary for the efficient operation of the amenities in paragraph (1), the Mayor may lease or entrust their operation to another entity by mutatis mutandis application of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Management of Public Property and Goods, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Installation and Management of Parking Lots.

Article 28 (Delegation of Duties) The powers of the Mayor prescribed in this Ordinance are delegated to the Museum Presidents, and may be exercised according to the internal regulations of each Museum.

Article 29 (Enforcement Rule) Matters necessary for the enforcement of this Ordinance shall be prescribed by rules of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Addendum <No. 9670, May 19, 2025>
This Ordinance shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.