In recent years, private museums—non-profit institutions displaying art collections accumulated by an individual or a private entity—have become increasingly popular. Since 2016, 111 new privately funded museums have opened across the world, according to a report published in June 2023 by Larry’s List, the collector-facing art platform providing data and insider access founded by art advisor Christoph Noe. 

The report found out that the top three countries with the highest number of private museums are Germany, the US and South Korea, with 60, 59 and 50 private museums respectively, followed by China at 40. Meanwhile, Seoul has more private museums than any other city with a total of 17.

Given the boom of the Asian art market since the mid 2000s, it’s not surprising that the number of private museums has gone up in this part of the world. Noe observes that in the west, “you will see collectors collecting for two to three decades and then making their collection [available] at the peak of their collecting career. In Asia, you see this happening more in parallel; they’re making their collection available and accessible in a physical space while they continue collecting.” 

Noe also notes that in some Asian countries like South Korea, a few private museums are actually quite old. “Some of these museums have been established for 20-30 years already, I think we just didn’t really recognise what is happening there.”

But now with Seoul firmly established as a global arts hub—with Frieze Seoul and other major arts fairs helping cement its place in the international scene—the interest in the city’s private museums have spiked, so we bring you our top three picks which you must visit the next time you’re in South Korea’s capital.

Also read: Beyond Frieze Seoul, here are the exhibitions you don’t want to miss while in the capital of South Korea