The complex was built on the site of the former South Jeolla Provincial Office, which was the final holdout of the Gwangju Uprising.
The structure is designed by architect Kyu Sung Woo and is famously nicknamed the 'Forest of Light' due to its subterranean layout that allows sunlight to penetrate deep into the galleries.
It is the largest cultural facility in South Korea in terms of total floor area.
The ACC features a specialized Children’s Culture Center, one of the largest of its kind in Asia focusing on interactive, creative education.
The center's 'ACC Archive' preserves thousands of documents, photos, and media related to the democratization history of the region and Asian arts.
The National Asian Culture Center (ACC) in Gwangju is one of Asia's largest comprehensive cultural arts institutions, designed to serve as a hub for artistic creation, research, and exchange. The facility is largely subterranean, integrating green space with modern architecture to preserve the historical sightlines of the surrounding area. It features five core divisions: the ACC Archive and Research, ACC Creation, ACC Theater, ACC Children, and ACC Culture Exchange. The center stands on the former site of the South Jeolla Provincial Office, a symbolic location central to the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement. It hosts year-round festivals, digital art exhibitions, and international performances. Visitors can explore a network of courtyards and rooftop gardens that serve as public parks above the exhibition halls. The architecture utilizes natural light through glass lightwells to illuminate the sunken galleries.
The central skylight courtyard, which frames the contrast between the historic Provincial Office building and the modern architecture.
Download the official ACC app before visiting to access digital maps and exhibition information.
Allocate time to walk on the rooftop garden, which offers a unique architectural view of the city center.
Check the digital library area, which offers extensive resources on Asian performance arts.
Do not rush through the outdoor plaza areas, as the architecture and landscaping are as central to the experience as the indoor exhibitions.
Closed on Mondays.
No flash photography in designated exhibition halls; maintain a low voice in library and archive areas.
