Key ‘MU:DS’ merchandise items. (Photo provided by the National Museum Foundation of Korea)
SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Sales of museum-branded cultural goods in South Korea have reached a record high this year, reflecting a surge in global and domestic interest in traditional Korean culture fueled by the broader momentum of K-culture.
According to the National Museum Foundation of Korea, annual sales of “MU:DS,” the museum’s cultural merchandise brand, have surpassed 400 billion won (about $300 million), the highest figure since the foundation was established in 2004. The milestone was reached just two months after sales first crossed the 300 billion won mark in October, underscoring the pace of growth.
MU:DS—short for a blend of “museum” and “goods”—features products inspired by artifacts housed at the National Museum of Korea and its regional branches. Best-selling items include jewelry modeled after a Silla-era gold crown, lighting designed around the Seokguram Grotto, and miniature replicas of the pensive bodhisattva statue, one of Korea’s most iconic national treasures.
Sales accelerated sharply in the summer. Monthly revenue, which had averaged about 20 billion won between April and June, nearly doubled in July to just under 50 billion won and climbed further in August, when sales topped 52 billion won.
The surge coincided with growing international interest in Korean heritage following the global success of the Netflix animated series “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” released in June.
Visitors browse museum cultural merchandise ‘MU:DS’ at a museum gift shop. (Yonhap)
Strong demand continued through the fall, with monthly sales consistently exceeding 40 billion won from September onward. Officials expect total annual revenue to rise further once offline museum shop sales, online purchases and licensing income are fully tallied.
The popularity of MU:DS products has also driven record foot traffic at museums. The National Museum of Korea surpassed six million visitors this year, the highest number since its founding in 1945, with some shoppers lining up at opening hours in so-called “open runs” to secure popular items.
President Lee Jae-myung recently praised the program during a government briefing, citing MU:DS as a successful example of leveraging cultural heritage into sustainable cultural industry growth.
Buoyed by domestic success, the foundation is expanding overseas. MU:DS debuted at the Osaka-Kansai World Expo in May, opened its first permanent promotional space in Hong Kong in October, and plans to launch joint products with France’s GrandPalais Rmn next year to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and France.
Proposed items would draw on iconic works such as the Louvre’s “Mona Lisa” and Korea’s revered pensive bodhisattva statue, signaling an ambition to position Korean museum goods on the global cultural stage.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
