From the neon-lit galleries of Seoul to the coastal pavilions of Busan, Korea is turning itself into an expansive, monthlong art venue. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside the Korea Arts Management Service, officially launched the 2026 Korea Art Festival on Tuesday, bringing together world-class biennales, major commercial fairs and nearly 100 museums for a nationwide cultural blitz that spans the month of September. Now in its third consecutive year, the festival aims to democratize art appreciation and solidify Korea's standing as Asia’s premier contemporary art hub. The ambitious monthlong calendar harmonizes four major regional biennials — in Gwangju, Busan, Jeju, and Gyeonggi Province — with two titan commercial fairs in the capital, Kiaf Seoul and Frieze Seoul. Adding weight to the scale, 96 public and private museums across the country are joining the festivities with tailored exhibitions. To make the arts accessible, the government subsidized tens of thousands of entry tickets with discounts ranging from 30 to 70 percent, more than 13,000 of which sold ou