National Museum of Korea (NMK) Director You Hong June (fourth from left) on Dec.11 poses for a photo with Noh Yong-wook (far right) the sixth millionth visitor to the NMK, and his family as well as the first foreign tourist after Noh, a Danish man identified only as Lasse (third from left), at the museum in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District. (NMK)

By Charles Audouin

The National Museum of Korea (NMK) has broken this year the six million mark in visitors, the highest annual figure in its 80-year history.

The museum on Dec. 11 said the 2025 number shot up 450% from 1,339,709 after the NMK in 2005 reopened after being relocated to Seoul's Yongsan-gu District. The number of foreign visitors also hit an all-time high of 222,547.

Based on a 2024 survey of people who went to museums worldwide by The Art Newspaper of the U.K., the NMK is the fourth-most visited museum in the world this year, following the Louvre in Paris (8,737,050 visitors), Vatican Museums (6,825,436) and British Museum (6,479,952).

A Danish man was the first foreign visitor after the six millionth overall. He said Denmark's population is about six million, so he was surprised that the same number visited the NMK.

He added that because his wife is Korean, he wanted to better understand Korean culture by visiting with her, adding that he especially looked forward to the museum's exhibition "The Great Admiral Yi Sun-Sin."

The museum said the surge in visitors was thanks to in-depth permanent exhibitions focused on single themes, academically curated displays, those of cultures from around the world, multi-sensory interactive spaces, immersive galleries and youth programs.

Especially popular were the museum's Room of Quiet Contemplation, Islamic Art Gallery and the exhibition "Art of Early Joseon: Masterpieces from the 15th and 16th Century."

Sales of the NMK's cultural product brand MU:DS (National Museum Goods) reached KRW 35.6 billion this year through last month, far surpassing last year's KRW 21.3 billion. "The popularity of these cultural items naturally fuels more visits, creating a positive cycle that broadens interest in Korea's cultural heritage," a museum source said.

NMK Director You Hong June added, "The National Museum of Korea and its affiliate museums will provide higher quality services and reinforce their role as the heart of Korean culture."

caudouin@korea.kr