Korean Museums Shed Stuffy Image: 'Kpop Demon Hunters' Boost Merchandise Sales, Becoming MZ Generation's Favorite
The Korean National Museum Cultural Foundation's brand 'MU:DS' has become a new paradigm for cultural heritage utilization, achieving significant growth by appealing to the MZ generation through collaborations with K-pop idols and the movie 'Kpop Demon Hunters.' Last year, the National Central Museum saw a record 6.5 million visitors and merchandise sales of 41.3 billion Korean Won.
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- 📰 Published: April 10, 2026 at 15:52
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The museum merchandise brand 'MU:DS,' operated by the National Museum Cultural Foundation, has become a new paradigm for cultural heritage utilization. As a representative success story led by the public sector in the cultural content industry, it has garnered significant public attention in recent years.
The National Central Museum's visitor numbers reached a historic high of 6.5 million last year. Driven by K-content, last year's museum merchandise annual revenue reached 41.3 billion Korean Won (approximately 900 million New Taiwan Dollars). The National Museum Cultural Foundation stated that people no longer view cultural heritage merely as 'objects to be preserved,' but have further expanded it into 'cultural resources that can be experienced and consumed.'
Cultural heritage, which used to be confined to museum displays, is now being reinterpreted as everyday items and lifestyle products, gradually integrating into daily life. Among these, BTS leader RM, after visiting the national treasure 'Pensive Bodhisattva,' expressed his fondness for related merchandise, leading to a surge in sales of those products.
Jung Yong-seok, president of the National Museum Cultural Foundation, stated that the movie 'Kpop Demon Hunters' became globally popular last year, and related content made merchandise seem very fashionable. "These factors combined further boosted the growth," he said. In the past three years, the National Museum's merchandise revenue has maintained a growth rate of 40%.
Jung Yong-seok pointed out that with the explosion of 'Kpop Demon Hunters,' products like the 'Magpie Tiger Keychain' became popular. "When people bought these on the official website, they would also look at other products. Because popular items quickly sold out, people browsing other products were surprised to discover, 'Oh? There are also these kinds of things,' creating a positive ripple effect."
Jung Yong-seok admitted that in the past, the public's impression of the National Central Museum was that it was somewhat old-fashioned, only visited by elders or children for experiential learning. However, since the positive influence of popular culture like 'Kpop Demon Hunters' and K-pop idols, Jung Yong-seok exclaimed, "The entire atmosphere has completely turned 180 degrees."
According to data provided by the National Museum Cultural Foundation, 57.7% of the merchandise sold last year was purchased by young people aged 10 to 30. In Korean slang, 'MZ generation' refers to those born between 1981 and 1996 (M generation) and between 1997 and 2010 (Z generation).
Jung Yong-seok noted that because Korean cultural heritage was presented in a fashionable and cool way in 'Kpop Demon Hunters,' "the MZ generation began flocking to museums to see it with their own eyes." Jung Yong-seok pointed out that sometimes, even on weekday mornings, long queues of 'Open Run' (rushing in at opening) would form at the museum entrance, a very rare sight since its opening.
In addition, one of the National Central Museum's most notable best-selling products is the 'Drunken Scholar Trio Color-Changing Cup Set,' inspired by the drunken scholar in the 'Pyeongyang Gamyeong Banquet Painting.' Since its launch, 130,000 sets have been sold. When cold water or soju is poured into the soju cup, the scholar's face turns red. Jung Yong-seok said, "Even if this is given as a gift, it becomes interesting because it has a story." (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150410
The National Central Museum's visitor numbers reached a historic high of 6.5 million last year. Driven by K-content, last year's museum merchandise annual revenue reached 41.3 billion Korean Won (approximately 900 million New Taiwan Dollars). The National Museum Cultural Foundation stated that people no longer view cultural heritage merely as 'objects to be preserved,' but have further expanded it into 'cultural resources that can be experienced and consumed.'
Cultural heritage, which used to be confined to museum displays, is now being reinterpreted as everyday items and lifestyle products, gradually integrating into daily life. Among these, BTS leader RM, after visiting the national treasure 'Pensive Bodhisattva,' expressed his fondness for related merchandise, leading to a surge in sales of those products.
Jung Yong-seok, president of the National Museum Cultural Foundation, stated that the movie 'Kpop Demon Hunters' became globally popular last year, and related content made merchandise seem very fashionable. "These factors combined further boosted the growth," he said. In the past three years, the National Museum's merchandise revenue has maintained a growth rate of 40%.
Jung Yong-seok pointed out that with the explosion of 'Kpop Demon Hunters,' products like the 'Magpie Tiger Keychain' became popular. "When people bought these on the official website, they would also look at other products. Because popular items quickly sold out, people browsing other products were surprised to discover, 'Oh? There are also these kinds of things,' creating a positive ripple effect."
Jung Yong-seok admitted that in the past, the public's impression of the National Central Museum was that it was somewhat old-fashioned, only visited by elders or children for experiential learning. However, since the positive influence of popular culture like 'Kpop Demon Hunters' and K-pop idols, Jung Yong-seok exclaimed, "The entire atmosphere has completely turned 180 degrees."
According to data provided by the National Museum Cultural Foundation, 57.7% of the merchandise sold last year was purchased by young people aged 10 to 30. In Korean slang, 'MZ generation' refers to those born between 1981 and 1996 (M generation) and between 1997 and 2010 (Z generation).
Jung Yong-seok noted that because Korean cultural heritage was presented in a fashionable and cool way in 'Kpop Demon Hunters,' "the MZ generation began flocking to museums to see it with their own eyes." Jung Yong-seok pointed out that sometimes, even on weekday mornings, long queues of 'Open Run' (rushing in at opening) would form at the museum entrance, a very rare sight since its opening.
In addition, one of the National Central Museum's most notable best-selling products is the 'Drunken Scholar Trio Color-Changing Cup Set,' inspired by the drunken scholar in the 'Pyeongyang Gamyeong Banquet Painting.' Since its launch, 130,000 sets have been sold. When cold water or soju is poured into the soju cup, the scholar's face turns red. Jung Yong-seok said, "Even if this is given as a gift, it becomes interesting because it has a story." (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150410