Minister Choi Hwi-young Inspects National Museum of Korea Amid Surge in Visitors Driven by 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' Popularity

On August 3, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young visited the National Museum of Korea to inspect the on-site situation, including the sales status of the museum's merchandise brand 'MU:DS'.

The National Museum of Korea has recently seen a surge in visitors due to the popularity of the Netflix animated film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters'. MU:DS products have also become so popular that they have sold out.

As of the end of July this year, the museum had approximately 3.45 million visitors, an increase of more than 70% compared to 1.99 million during the same period last year. The number of foreign visitors also reached about 200,000, an increase of more than 50% compared to 130,000 during the same period last year. MU:DS sales have grown at an average annual rate of 54.2% over the past five years, expanding by a factor of 5.7.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwiyeong Choi (right) is visiting the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 3rd, having a conversation with Director Hongjun Yoo of the National Museum of Korea.
Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Choi Hwiyoung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (second from left), and Yu Hongjun, Director of the National Museum of Korea (second from right), are taking a commemorative photo in front of life-sized statues of five independence activists installed at the special exhibition "80th Anniversary of Liberation, Faces Rediscovered" at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 3rd.
Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
They are touring the museum site together and taking commemorative photos.

Minister Choi Hwi-young, together with Yoo Hong-jun, Director of the National Museum of Korea, toured the museum shop and the 'Room for Contemplation', checked exhibitions such as 'Conquering the World on Two Feet (Special Exhibition on Sohn Kee-chung)' and 'New Nation, New Art - Grand Exhibition of Early Joseon Art', reviewed visitor conditions and museum product sales, and discussed key issues facing the National Museum of Korea.

Minister Choi Hwi-young stated, "Museums are the foundation of the identity and sustainability of 'K-Culture' and serve as core hubs for high value-added cultural industries. We will do our utmost to ensure that our traditional heritage, including museum assets, becomes a driving force for achieving a 300 trillion won 'K-Culture' market."

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also announced plans to continue actively supporting the National Museum of Korea in expanding visitor convenience facilities and ensuring a safe and pleasant environment, so that it remains a leading cultural space for the public.