5 Exhibitions to Add to a Winter Trip to Ulsan, Daejeon, Jeju or Cheonan

If you only remember Lee Jung-seob through a few familiar signature images, this exhibition, which presents his works alongside records, will broaden your view. Co-organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) and Ulsan Art Museum, it sheds light on the artist's life and work by combining MMCA's collection with works held by private collectors and his family, as well as archival materials. It rewards viewers who read the daily life and relationships of the time surrounding the paintings as well.

The exhibition continues in Gallery 2 of Ulsan Art Museum until January 17, 2027. You can add it to a year-end trip to Ulsan or make it the centerpiece of a museum visit early in the new year. Admission is listed as 1,000 won for adults and 500 won for Ulsan residents, and children, teens and seniors who qualify for free entry should be ready to show proof of identity and eligibility. This exhibition is at the city art museum at 72 Misulgwan-gil, a separate venue from the cultural heritage special exhibition at Ulsan Museum on Duwang-ro.

This special exhibition looks at Ulsan's history across a much longer span of time than its image as an industrial city. Through cultural heritage such as a deer-antler harpoon tip lodged in a whale bone, you can see traces of the lives and techniques left behind by the people of this region. Rather than memorizing the names of artifacts, reading their materials, uses and excavation context together helps you understand Ulsan as a place.

It's held in Special Exhibition Galleries I and II on the 1st floor of Ulsan Museum until January 3, 2027. You can tie it into the start of winter break or the New Year holidays, but keep in mind that the last viewing day is in early January. Although it includes whale-related artifacts, this exhibition is not at the Jangsaengpo Whale Museum. Set Ulsan Museum at 277 Duwang-ro as your destination, and check the museum's opening status and visitor information for the day before you go to avoid any mix-ups.

Lee Jong-sang, Lee Chul-ju, Yoo Hee-young and Ha Dong-chul shared a starting point in the art club of Daejeon High School, but went on to create different painting languages. This exhibition explores how these artists, who share memories of the region, expanded line and color. Rather than simply dividing Korean-style and Western-style painting, it's fun to compare the materials each artist chose, how they composed the picture plane and the differences in their abstract expression.

It runs in Galleries 1–4 of Daejeon Museum of Art until January 31, 2027, making it easy to fit into year-end and winter break plans. Instead of skimming each artist's works quickly, pick one criterion, such as the movement of lines or layers of color, and compare. General admission is 500 won for adults, and 300 won for children, teens, soldiers, university students and artists. If you qualify for a discount, check the proof requirements, and plan your trip around the city art museum at 155 Dunsan-daero.

This special exhibition doesn't stop at telling Kim Man-deok's generosity as a simple heartwarming tale, but rereads it through the people and documents that recorded her. As you see how the deeds of a Jeju woman remained in Joseon records and in people's memories, you can also reflect on how views of Kim Man-deok have changed over time. It's a good fit when you want to meet the story of a local figure alongside the natural scenery on a Jeju trip.

You can see it for free on the 1st and 2nd floors of the Mandeok Gallery at the Kim Man-deok Memorial Hall until January 31, 2027. Since the exhibition is built around records, allow time to read the panels and materials, and the content will connect more easily. It's a nice indoor stop to add to a winter itinerary in Jeju City, at 7 Sanji-ro, Jeju-si. Your travel dates may overlap with holidays or closed days, so check the memorial hall's operating information for the day first. It's also important not to confuse it with other memorial sites related to Kim Man-deok.

Where do the standards we use to classify and judge others come from? Featuring the work of Cho Eun-si and Choi Hee-jung, this exhibition questions the way we understand cultural diversity only within predefined categories. Looking at different forms of expression, including painting, installation and video, you can reflect on the standards we take for granted in daily life and on those pushed outside them.

It runs free of charge until December 20 as part of Cheonan City Art Museum's Cheonan Zero Project. Although the title mentions a ruler and markings, it isn't billed as a hands-on measuring activity for children. It's closer to a viewing where you read the works and exhibition texts and talk about your own experiences of classification. The museum is at 185 Jonghaphyuyangji-ro, Seongnam-myeon, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, so don't confuse it with galleries near Cheonan Station. It's open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Mondays.