New culture minister links museum to K-culture’s success

Chae Hwi-young, center, the new minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism, speaks with Yoo Hong-jun, left, director general of the National Museum of Korea, and Choung Yong-suk, president of the National Museum Foundation of Korea, during his visit to the National Museum in Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Chae Hwi-young, the new minister of culture, sports and tourism, emphasized that Korea’s traditional heritage is essential to driving the high-value K-culture industry envisioned by the Lee Jae Myung administration.

“The museum is the foundation for the identity and sustainability of K-culture, as well as a key base for high-value cultural industries,” Chae said during his visit to the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, Sunday.

“Assets such as museums and our traditional heritage will serve as engines of growth to help achieve the ambitious 300 trillion won ($216 billion) K-culture market.”

Chae’s visit to the nation’s flagship museum — his second official engagement after traveling to Gyeongju on Thursday, his first day in office — highlights how central museums have become to the government’s vision for a thriving K-culture sector.

During Sunday’s visit, Chae, accompanied by Yoo Hong-jun, director general of the museum and Choung Yong-suk, president of the National Museum Foundation of Korea, toured current exhibitions.

Fueled by global interest in K-pop and Korean culture, the National Museum is enjoying a new wave of attention, with soaring attendance and record-breaking sales at its gift shop.

By the end of July, more than 3.45 million people had visited the National Museum this year alone — a 1.7-fold increase over the same period last year.

The Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” which highlights Korean cultural heritage, has also contributed to a spike in visitors.

The museum’s gift shop products, branded as MU:DS (a combination of the words “museum” and “goods”) have also soared, with annual revenue expanding 5.7 times over the past five years. The average yearly growth rate now stands at 54.2 percent.

Such rapid growth is not without its challenges. On weekends, severe parking shortages have resulted in wait times of up to 2 hours for people arriving by car — a frustration for both visitors and museum staff.

The director general of the museum recently called the situation “an obvious problem,” noting that traffic congestion now extends throughout the nearby Yongsan area.

The minister pledged to prioritize facility upgrades, support measures to improve visitor comfort and secure the museum’s role as a cornerstone for Korea’s creative economy.

“I hope to see the museum transform into a dynamic hub where traditional culture and contemporary content converge,” Chae said.