Beating Out the Royal Seal and Ban'gasayusang Statue, Wriggling 'Carp Water Dropper' Wins National Museum Makeup Play Grand Prize at Age 22

Jeon Eunsul Embodies a 6.5cm Joseon Dynasty Porcelain Carving

Chosen from 643 Participants on 275 Teams, Wins Grand Prize

Following Last Year’s “Human Gold Earrings,” Creativity and Artifact Interpretation Stand Out

Finals Attract Cro

It wasn't the dazzling royal seal or the meticulously replicated Ban’gasayusang statue. This year, at the National Museum of Korea's 'Makeup Play,' the grand prize went to a single 'carp' wriggling on the floor in a skin-tight outfit.

On the 19th, the award ceremony for the 'Gukjungbak Costume Play' finals was held at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. On the left is Yoo Hong-joon, Director of the National Museum of Korea, and on the right is Jeon Eunseul, the grand prize winner. Photo by Yonhap News

At the finals of the '2026 National Museum Makeup Play - National Edition' held in the Open Yard of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 19th, college student Eunseul Jeon (22) won the grand prize by recreating the 'White Porcelain Carp-Shaped Water Dropper.' This is the first year the event has expanded nationwide, with 643 participants across 275 teams. Through regional semifinals held in Chuncheon, Gongju, Daegu, and Jeonju, 25 teams advanced to the finals. Compared to last year’s 83 participating teams, this year saw more than triple the number of competitors.

Jeon's stage was surprisingly simple. Dressed in a tight costume painted with blue scales and round eyes, she lay face-down on the floor and flopped like a freshly caught carp. For the finals, she added a performance in which she moved her body in response to bait presented by a fisherman. Instead of elaborate props, she embodied the curvy, plump shape of the artifact and the characteristic of a 'living, moving fish' using only her body. This performance drew the biggest laughs and cheers from those in attendance.

The official name of the artifact she selected is “White Porcelain Water Dropper with Blue-and-White Carp Design” (also referred to as “White Porcelain Carp-Shaped Water Dropper”). It is a small piece from the Joseon Dynasty, measuring 6.5 cm in height and 11.5 cm in length, used to hold water for grinding ink on an inkstone. The body of the carp is three-dimensionally sculpted, with the scales and eyes detailed in blue pigment. It is known as one of the cultural assets donated to the nation by the late Samsung chairman Lee Kun-Hee.

Jeon did not choose this artifact for its fame. She explained that when she first saw the piece, it felt “remarkably modern,” and she wanted to introduce a lesser-known artifact to the public. The fact that it was neither difficult to reproduce nor lacking in character also influenced her decision. Having just finished a major exam the day before the finals, she quickly prepared the fisherman act to capture the dynamic impression of a “freshly caught live fish.”

At the '2026 National Folk Play Festival,' Eunseul Jeon, who won the grand prize, is performing by recreating a 'White Porcelain Carp-Shaped Inkpad' and lying on the floor while wriggling her body. Video capture from Yonhap News TV.

For Jeon, who is currently seeking employment, the carp held another layer of meaning. She regarded her participation as “the most impactful challenge to show myself as I truly am.” The legend of a carp that ascends a rapid and becomes a dragon—the “gate of ascension”—resonated with her personal journey and career concerns. After receiving the grand prize, she shed tears, saying, “I gained so much courage.”

This year’s result drew attention because a number of finalists displayed elaborate costumes and professional performances. The finals’ 20-meter runway saw a variety of artifacts recreated: from a team embodying the Great Korean Empire’s royal seal “Jegojibo,” which was repatriated to Korea after being taken to Japan in 1911, to national treasures such as the Ban’gasayusang statue, the guardian beast of King Muryeong’s tomb, the bronze offering pagoda, and the royal investiture seal of King Danjong’s restoration.

Webtoon artist Dr. Ber showcased a spinning Ban’gasayusang statue. Cosplayer Dohyun Park also featured the same artifact, complete with professional attire and performance. Hyunjung Lee, a former basketball player now model, appeared as a Bronze Age stone dagger, walking sideways with both arms raised overhead.

Five teams received excellence awards for their representations of the Ban’gasayusang statue, Jungheung Fortress twin-lion stone lantern, bronze bell, royal seal Jegojibo, and King Danjong’s investiture gold seal. Teams reenacting the Cheonheungsa Temple Bronze Bell, Sarira reliquary from the site of Wangheungsa Temple, guardian beast, King Seongdeok's Divine Bell, and the bronze offering pagoda received merit awards.

On the 19th, participants are performing a makeup show themed "Bronze Offering Pagoda" at the runway event for the finalists of the 'National Museum Makeup Play' held at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

The fact that Jeon's relatively modest “carp water dropper” took home the top prize underscores that this competition is not simply about perfecting costumes. According to the museum's published judging criteria, factors included the motivation for participating, regional connections, understanding and interpretation of the artifact, creativity, potential for popularization, and more. Five judges in the finals evaluated stage expression and creativity to select the winners. What mattered was not how much was spent on costumes or outside professionals, but how participants engaged with the artifact and made it their own.

As a result, online reactions after the event were enthusiastic, saying Jeon's entry “best captured the spirit of Makeup Play” and “valued creativity and individuality over technique.” With concerns that a focus on professional makeup and large props would raise the bar for entry, many praised the event for enabling anyone to creatively reinterpret museum artifacts.

This “total immersion” has driven the competition’s popularity since last year. The 2025 grand prize winners, Hanmin Kang and Hyungsoon Kwon, as the “If You Hang It on Your Ear, It Becomes an Earring” team, reenacted the Treasure “Golden Earrings from Hwangodong, Gyeongju” with their entire bodies—down to the detailed ornamentation—wearing golden costumes. The depiction drew widespread attention online. The duo shared that they chose the artifact not because it is a famous national treasure, but because though it is often seen, people rarely know its name; they discovered the earrings in a history workbook.

On the 19th, participants are performing a makeup show themed "The Large-Sutra on the Avatamsaka Buddha, the Bodhisattva Observing the Profound Practice" at the runway event for the finalists of the 'National Museum Makeup Play' held at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

At the time, Kang used upper body paint and a full-body suit to capture the curves and embellishments of the original artifact. After winning the award, the two even appeared on the tvN show “You Quiz on the Block,” sharing the process behind creating their costumes and preparing for the contest. If last year’s “human golden earrings” demonstrated the fun of using one’s body to replicate an artifact, this year’s “carp water dropper” stands as a case where the participant’s interpretation and personal story were even more strongly incorporated.

The event itself has also expanded rapidly. Starting in 2024 as a program called “The National Museum Lives,” it was renamed “National Museum Makeup Play” last year, and this year grew to include participation by 14 national museums. Regional finals in Chuncheon, Gongju, Daegu, and Jeonju put local artifacts on stage, with the highest number of participants to date.

Audience enthusiasm was equally intense. When the museum accepted applications from the first 2,000 viewers for the final, the spots filled quickly. Including those who watched the event in person that day, the museum estimated approximately 3,000 people crowded the Open Yard. All available stair space was taken, and so many people gathered around the escalators and glass railings that safety announcements were necessary.

Yoo Hong-joon, Director of the National Museum of Korea, noted, “Artifacts once confined inside exhibition halls are coming alive in the present.” He highlighted how participants express themselves, creativity, and imagination through artifacts as a key feature of the event. He explained that the approach to museum viewing is expanding—from quietly “looking” at heritage to directly choosing, wearing, moving, and interpreting it with laughter and participation.

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