Already 5.25 Million Visitors... National Museum of Korea, Ranked 3rd Globally, on Track for Another Record This Year

Surpassing 5 Million Visitors a Month and a Half Earlier Than Last Year, Foreign Visitors Double to All-Time High
Up 21.4% from Previous Year; Attention on Whether Special Exhibitions Will Sustain Growth in the Second Half
Months Exceeding Optimal Daily Capacity... Pilot Testing of Reservation and Electronic Ticketing System Next Year

This year, visitor numbers at the National Museum of Korea surpassed 5.25 million by the end of August. Last year, the museum recorded over 6.5 million annual visitors for the first time in its history, rising to third place globally among museums by visitor count. This year, the museum reached the 5 million milestone approximately one and a half months earlier than last year. Moreover, the number of foreign visitors has already exceeded last year’s annual record.

Citizens are entering the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to the National Museum of Korea on September 18, the cumulative number of visitors from January to August this year reached 5,254,884, up 21.4% from 4,328,979 during the same period last year. In 2025, the museum’s visitor tally surpassed 5 million for the first time on October 15, when it reached 5,016,382, but this year, that milestone was crossed in August. The speed at which 3 million was reached in May, 4 million in July, and now 5 million marks the fastest pace since the museum opened in 1945.

The increase in visitors was particularly evident during the summer. In July, there were 688,443 visitors, and in August, 771,045 visitors, meaning over 1.45 million people visited the museum in just those two months. Monthly visitor figures for this year were 730,473 in January, 760,792 in February, 535,451 in March, 515,268 in April, 717,564 in May, and 535,848 in June. In particular, during January, February, and August, the daily average number of visitors exceeded approximately 15,000, which is the optimal capacity calculated by the museum based on its size and safety regulations.

The rise in foreign visitors was even steeper. By the end of August, there were 291,460 foreign visitors, nearly double the 147,643 recorded during the same period last year. While foreign visitors made up about 5.5% of the total, their numbers had already surpassed the previous annual record of 231,192, setting a new all-time high. In August alone, 66,069 foreign visitors came to the museum.

Last year, The National Museum of Korea placed third in the world in the global museum visitor rankings published by the UK art magazine The Art Newspaper, with 6,507,483 visitors. The Louvre in France was first (9,046,000), and the Vatican Museums second (6,933,822). The National Museum of Korea attracted more visitors than the British Museum (6,440,120) and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (5,984,091). This was a rapid increase of more than 70% in just a year from about 3.8 million visitors in 2024.

This year’s pace is also faster than last year. As of the end of August, about 1.25 million visitors remained to match last year’s annual record. It is highly likely that the museum will surpass the 6 million mark for a second consecutive year, and there is growing attention on whether it can break its own record set last year, depending on the flow of visitors in the second half. However, the global museum rankings for this year will only be available once the annual totals for each institution, including the Louvre and Vatican Museums, are finalized in 2026.

The dramatic rise in visitor numbers has also prompted changes in museum operations. From July 27 to August 17, the museum extended its opening hours by one hour during the busy summer vacation season, and has repeatedly adjusted parking fees to address weekend and holiday parking shortages.

The introduction of fees for the permanent exhibition is also under consideration. To prepare for possible paid entry, the museum plans to build a customer relationship management (CRM) system by the end of this year, and deploy an online reservation and ticketing system, contactless e-ticket checking, and mobile ticketing for a pilot period in the first half of 2027.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is reportedly conducting a study on admission fees until the end of October and plans to set a policy direction by year’s end. If paid admission is introduced, full implementation could begin in 2028. However, a decision to introduce paid admission has not yet been finalized.

Major exhibitions are also planned for the second half of the year. In October, the museum will feature a special public showing of Dunhuang Buddhist scripture manuscripts, including the “Daejido-ron” believed to have been transcribed during China’s Sui Dynasty around 593. In November, it will present “The Birth of Modern Art,” showcasing pieces from the Kunsthaus Zürich in Switzerland. An exhibition highlighting the style of French Queen Marie Antoinette is scheduled for the end of the year. Renovations of the Buddhist sculpture and Buddhist painting halls within the permanent exhibition spaces are also underway.

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