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Overseas tourists are disproportionately flocking to Seoul's national museums, leaving regional venues struggling to attract visitors, according to data submitted to a South Korean lawmaker. The National Museum of Korea, located in the capital, welcomed 411,964 foreign visitors by August, comprising 70.7 percent of all foreign museum goers in the country.

In contrast, the 13 regional national museums collectively received only 120,504 foreign tourists, which represents 29.3 percent of the total. The disparity was especially stark among the regional museums; Gyeongju National Museum drew 75,089 visitors, while Jeju National Museum, situated on the popular tourist island of Jeju, received 19,172.

Together, these two museums accounted for nearly 78.2 percent of foreign visitors to regional museums. Smaller regional museums, such as Gwangju National Museum, Daegu National Museum, and Naju National Museum, attracted even fewer tourists, with 1,651, 1,383, and 641 foreign visitors respectively. The data highlights a significant budget imbalance, with the 13 regional museums' combined budget trailing behind that of the National Museum of Korea.