Seoul Museum of Art in Jung-gu, central Seoul (SeMA) Eight municipal museums and other cultural facilities in Seoul will remain open until 9 p.m. five days a week, expanding nighttime access currently available only once a week, according to the city government.The extended hours will be introduced sequentially from September and tested through November before becoming a permanent program in 2027.Under the new Seoul Museum Night program, eight facilities run by the city government — including Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul Museum of Craft Art and Seoul Museum of History — will offer special evening programs such as family history tours and talks led by museum curators.The outdoor courtyard of the Seoul Museum of Craft Art and the rooftop and rear garden of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will be used as nighttime cultural venues.The initiative is part of Seoul's broader plan, announced Thursday, to promote what it calls a "nighttime economy" by expanding access to cultural, recreational and tourism facilities between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m."Seoul's nighttime economy initiative is not simply about encouraging people to spend and enjoy themselves late into the night," Mayor Oh Se-hoon said."It is about adapting the city's operating hours to residents' lives, allowing them to exercise, enjoy cultural activities and spend more fulfilling time with their families after work."Under the plan, 269 sports facilities operated by the city, district governments, schools and parks will remain open as late as midnight, depending on operating conditions.The city will develop Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Namsan, Gwanghwamun and the Han River as four major nighttime destinations. It will also increase the number of outdoor dining areas under its Seoul Moonlight Night Market program from five this year to 25 by 2028.