4.5 Times Growth Since Relocation to Yongsan in 2005
Cumulative Visitors Surpass 100 Million Since 1945 Opening
On December 11 at around 2:00 p.m., the National Museum of Korea announced that its annual cumulative visitor count had surpassed 6 million. This milestone was reached just about two months after exceeding 5 million visitors on November 15, marking the highest number of visitors since the museum’s opening in 1945. Compared to the 1,339,709 visitors at the time of its relocation to Yongsan in 2005, this represents an increase of approximately 4.5 times over 20 years. Since its founding, the National Museum of Korea has welcomed a cumulative total of 108,481,118 visitors over the past 80 years.
Yoo Hongjun, Director of the National Museum of Korea, celebrating surpassing 6 million visitors. Provided by the National Museum of Korea
Recently, growing domestic and international interest in Korean cultural heritage has led to the so-called “open run” phenomenon, where people line up before the museum opens. According to the 2024 global museum visitor survey by the art-focused media outlet “The Art Newspaper,” the National Museum of Korea ranked fourth in the world, following the Louvre Museum (8,737,050 visitors), the Vatican Museums (6,825,436 visitors), and the British Museum (6,479,952 visitors).
At 2:00 p.m. on the same day, the museum held a special event where Director Yoo Hongjun personally presented a gift to the 6 millionth visitor. The honoree was Noh Yonguk (40) from Pangyo-dong, Bundang-gu, who visited with his twin children to mark this special occasion. He said, “This is our first visit, and we came to see the special exhibition ‘From Impressionism to Early Modernism’ and the Children’s Museum. I heard on social media that children especially love it here, and I am delighted to be the 6 millionth visitor.”
The 6 millionth visitor is taking a commemorative photo with Yongjun Yu, Director of the National Museum of Korea. Provided by the National Museum of Korea
A gift was also presented to the first foreign visitor after the 6 million milestone. Lasse from Denmark commented, “Denmark’s population is about 6 million, so I am amazed that 6 million people have visited a museum in Korea. My wife is Korean, and I wanted to better understand Korean culture, so we came together. I was especially looking forward to the special exhibition ‘Our Yi Sun-sin.’”
As of December 10, 2025, the cumulative number of visitors to the National Museum of Korea and its 13 affiliated museums nationwide reached 13,803,717. This figure surpasses the annual attendance of professional baseball in 2025, which was **12,312,510 (provided by KBO)**. The fact that museum attendance has exceeded that of professional baseball demonstrates that museums have become a cultural destination enjoyed by the entire nation, not just a select few.
The increase in visitors is attributed to academic research achievements and exhibition innovations incorporating digital technologies. The renewal of permanent exhibitions focused on single themes, such as “Room for Contemplation” and “Oegyujanggak Uigwe Room,” as well as academic special exhibitions like “New Nation, New Art: The Grand Exhibition of Early Joseon Dynasty Art,” have newly conveyed the value of traditional culture. Exhibitions highlighting international cultures, such as the World Culture Gallery’s “Islamic Room” and “Vienna 1900: Dreaming Artists,” have broadened the scope of appreciation, while inclusive content like the multi-sensory experience space “Five Senses” and the sensory exhibition room “Space_Between” has also expanded. Youth participation events such as “2025 National Museum Costume Play” have gained widespread popularity across generations and interests.
The museum’s cultural merchandise “Muze” has also attracted attention, recording cumulative sales of 35.6 billion won as of November this year, far surpassing last year’s annual sales of 21.3 billion won. The popularity of these cultural products is creating a positive cycle that leads back to increased museum attendance.
Yoo Hongjun, Director of the National Museum of Korea, stated, “The figure of 6 million is a symbolic record that reflects the trust and affection the public has shown the museum. We will continue to provide even higher-quality services to the public and strengthen our role as the heart of Korean culture.”
Meanwhile, as of this year, the cumulative number of visitors to major national museums-including the National Museum of Korea under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, its 13 affiliated museums, the National Folk Museum of Korea, and the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History-reached 16,967,090, signaling that the era of 20 million annual museum visitors is not far off.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
