"I Am the K-Artifact"... 50 Teams Advance to the Finals of 'Gukjungbak Bunjangnori'

Participation Tripled to 275 Teams

Finals and Championship to Be Held Across Four Regions Next Month

The National Museum of Korea has selected 50 teams to advance to the finals of this year's "2026 Gukjungbak Bunjangnori National Edition."

'2026 Gukjungbak Bunjangnori' National Edition Finalists. Provided by the National Museum of Korea

On August 14, the National Museum of Korea announced the regional finalists for the third annual Gukjungbak Bunjangnori.

"Gukjungbak Bunjangnori" is a visitor-participation cosplay event where participants dress up as artifacts from the museum and express them with individuality on stage. This year, a total of 275 teams (643 participants) took part in the event.

A museum official said, "This is more than three times last year's 83 participating teams," and explained, "In Central, Jeju, and Chuncheon regions alone, 130 teams applied, so for fairness, 10 additional teams were selected."

By region, the largest number of applications came from the Central, Jeju, and Chuncheon areas with 130 teams, followed by the Gyeongju, Daegu, Jinju, and Gimhae regions (65 teams), the Buyeo, Gongju, Cheongju, and Iksan regions (57 teams), and the Gwangju, Jeonju, and Naju regions (23 teams).

The finalists included teams such as "Resting Turtle," who dressed up as the royal seal inscribed with the posthumous title granted to King Danjong upon his reinstatement in 1698, and teams that portrayed the Pensive Bodhisattva and the Baekje Gilt-Bronze Incense Burner. The royal seal refers to a stamp engraved with a special title bestowed upon king and queen during the Joseon Dynasty.

A participant who revealed their team name as "Did the Royal Seal Have Legs?" shared a photo of themselves dressed as the royal seal and expressed a desire to tell the story of its journey. Another team stood out for their vivid recreation of even the surface patterns found on the national treasure "Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok."

The finals will be held regionally starting at the National Chuncheon Museum on September 5, with the ultimate championship round scheduled to take place at the Open Yard of the National Museum of Korea in Seoul on September 19.

Last year, eye-catching costumes included recreations of the treasure "Gyeongju Hwangodong Gold Earrings," the traditional painting "Hojakdo" featuring a tiger and a magpie, and the Gilt-Bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Seated Statue. Accordingly, the National Museum of Korea changed the format to hold the finals not only in Seoul but across four regions nationwide, and expanded the top prize from 1 million won to 3 million won.

Yoo Hongjun, Director of the National Museum of Korea, said, "This costume play event, created together by national museums and visitors across the country, is a festival that connects regions and generations through artifacts," and encouraged wide interest.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.