Museum goods brand MU:DS tops 40 billion won in annual sales for first time

▲ These photo provided by the National Museum Foundation of Korea on Dec. 30, 2025, shows the key museum merchandise branded as MU:DS. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- As interest in traditional Korean culture continues to grow, sales of cultural merchandise from national museums have reached an all-time high.

According to the National Museum Foundation of Korea on Tuesday, annual sales of museum merchandise under the brand MU:DS are estimated to have recently surpassed 40 billion won (US$30 million).

It marks the first time annual sales have exceeded the 40 billion-won mark since the foundation was established in 2004.

Sales of MU:DS first topped 30 billion won in October this year and went on to exceed 40 billion won within just two months, setting a new record.

▲ Visitors browse museum merchandise branded as MU:DS at a museum gift shop on Oct. 17, 2025. (Yonhap)

MU:DS is a cultural merchandise brand created from collections held by the National Museum of Korea and its regional affiliates. The name combines the words “museum” and “goods.”

Popular items include jewelry inspired by a Silla gold crown, lighting fixtures modeled after Seokguram Grotto, and miniature replicas of the Pensive Bodhisattva statue, which is known to be owned by BTS member RM.

Sales of MU:DS surged this year amid the global popularity of K-culture. Monthly sales, which averaged around 2 billion won from April to June, nearly doubled to about 4.96 billion won in July and rose further to approximately 5.28 billion won in August.

That means more than 10 billion won worth of MU:DS products were sold over just two months.

The sharp increase is attributed in part to heightened global interest in Korean traditional culture following the worldwide success of the Netflix animated film "K-pop Demon Hunters," which was released in June.

▲ Visitors browse museum merchandise branded as MU:DS at a museum gift shop on Oct. 17, 2025. (Yonhap)

Strong sales continued afterward, with monthly figures reaching 4.38 billion won in September, 4.87 billion won in October and 4.7 billion won in November, and reportedly exceeding 4 billion won again this month.

Total annual sales are expected to rise further once revenues from offline museum shops nationwide, the online store and royalties are fully tallied.

The MU:DS craze has also led to so-called “open runs,” in which customers rush to purchase items as soon as stores open.

The National Museum of Korea has attracted more than 6 million visitors this year as of 2 p.m. on Dec. 11, marking the highest annual attendance since its opening in 1945, when it was known simply as the National Museum.

President Lee Jae-myung also recently mentioned MU:DS during a policy briefing by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Museum of Korea, praising the initiative by saying, “I hear it sold tremendously well. Well done.”

The foundation has also begun expanding into overseas markets in earnest.

In May, it showcased MU:DS products at the Osaka-Kansai World Expo in Japan, and in October, it opened its first permanent promotional space at the Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong.

Next year, to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and France, the foundation plans to launch joint products themed on “smiles” in partnership with GrandPalais Rmn, a public institution under France’s Ministry of Culture.

Proposed items include merchandise inspired by iconic cultural assets from both countries, such as the Louvre Museum’s "Mona Lisa" and the National Museum of Korea’s "Pensive Bodhisattva" (National Treasure No. 83, the Gilt-bronze Pensive Maitreya Bodhisattva).

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