National Museum of Korea tops five million visitors

The National Museum of Korea has welcomed more than 5 million visitors this year for the first time. The increase is largely attributed to the global popularity of the animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters, or Kedeheon, which drew many young and foreign visitors.

The museum said Oct. 17 that as of Oct. 15, total attendance for 2025 reached 5,016,382, the highest ever and about 70% higher than the 2,955,789 visitors recorded during the same period last year.

Few museums worldwide draw more than 5 million visitors a year. According to The Art Newspaper, the Louvre in France led last year with 8.73 million visitors, followed by the Vatican Museums with 6.82 million, the British Museum with 6.47 million, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art with 5.72 million. London’s Tate Modern ranked fifth with 4.6 million.

The museum said rising international interest in traditional Korean culture has fueled attendance. The success of K-content such as Kedeheon and the growing popularity of museum merchandise among younger audiences also contributed. Exhibition updates, including the “Room of Reflection,” which features two national treasures of the Maitreya Bodhisattva in Meditation, have further drawn visitors.

A museum official said attendance surged in August, with 864,977 visitors during the summer vacation. The number of students, young people, and foreign tourists rose sharply. Foreign visitors reached 185,705 this year and are expected to exceed last year’s record of 198,085.

The National Museum said total attendance at all 13 national museums reached 11,296,254, surpassing 10 million for the third consecutive year since 2023. The figure is comparable to the 12,312,519 cumulative spectators at this year’s professional baseball games.

Yoo Hong-jun, director of the National Museum of Korea, said rising global interest in traditional culture, fueled by K-culture, has helped museum attendance rival professional sports. He said the museum aims to let people enjoy culture in daily life through visitor-focused exhibitions, improved facilities, and stronger cultural heritage management.


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com