"7,816 Suitcases Alone"... Chairman Park Sungsoo's 30-Year Collection Earns a Guinness Record

7,816 suitcases and 4,674 bookends certified as the world's largest collections

Chairman Park Sungsoo's vision builds a collection of one million items over 30 years

Some of the collectibles amassed by E-Land Group Chairman Park Sungsoo have been recognized by Guinness World Records. Suitcases and bookends collected over more than 30 years have each been recognized as the world's largest collections of their kind. The collecting effort began to strengthen content for tourists to see and enjoy. Today, the collection serves as an asset for enhancing the competitiveness of the group's hotel and dining businesses, in addition to supporting design research and exhibitions.

E-Land Group held an official Guinness World Records certification ceremony at the E-Land Global R&D Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 28th. Its collections of 7,816 suitcases and 4,674 bookends—objects used to keep books from falling over—were each certified as the world's largest. They are part of the collection amassed since 1995, over more than 30 years.

Seo Younghee, general director of Eland Museum, said, "The one million items we have collected over the past 30 years are an archive that inspires design and a global cultural heritage we want to share so everyone can enjoy it. Starting with these world records, we plan to pursue up to 30 Guinness records and make our collection public."

Han Wooseok, CEO of E-Land Museum (left), and Seo Younghee, executive director of E-Land Museum (right), pose for a commemorative photo at the official Guinness World Records certification ceremony at the E-Land Global R&D Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 28th. Photo by Im Hyeseon, reporter.

The ceremony was attended by Son Minyoung, a Guinness World Records adjudicator, along with Han Wooseok, CEO of Eland Museum, and Seo Younghee, its general director. After the certificates were presented, guests took an archive tour of the storage facilities on the center's first and second basement levels. The tour offered a look at the two collections as well as other items E-Land has accumulated since 1995.

E-Land's collecting business began with Chairman Park's vision of "enriching the nation through culture." The aim was to make world-class cultural heritage accessible for everyone in Korea to experience and enjoy. As the number of domestic and international tourists grew, Chairman Park reportedly judged that tourism content was lacking and directed the company to collect auction items with stories behind them.

Since the 1990s, E-Land has acquired more than one million items through international auctions, spanning fashion, music, film, sports, art and other fields. The collection includes Grammy Awards trophies; stage costumes and instruments belonging to famous singers; film props used in Academy Award-winning movies; uniforms worn by sports stars; and clothing by world-renowned designers. It also includes a dress worn by Audrey Hepburn and a jacket worn by Michael Jackson.

The collection also serves as research material for the fashion business. Researchers study the materials and designs by examining clothing by world-renowned designers and household items from different eras firsthand. The suitcases reflect changes in travel culture, materials and forms over time, while the bookends reveal trends in lifestyles and decorative design. This is why the collection extends beyond items used by celebrities to include everyday objects.

The collection has also provided a foundation for exhibitions. According to Eland Museum, it has organized more than 20 exhibitions over the past three years, drawing a cumulative total of 1.1 million visitors.  Rather than simply displaying rare objects, the exhibitions weave together the stories of their owners and the historical context, creating narratives visitors can follow.

E-Land Group Chairman Park Sungsoo. Provided by E-Land Group.

A notable example is "Queen's Collection," presented in 2024 at The Hyundai Seoul Trade Center. It brought together clothing and accessories actually used by members of the British royal family, from Queen Elizabeth II's 1948 ball gown to Princess Diana's wedding veil. The exhibition paired items from figures including Queen Victoria and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor with stories of royal family life and romance. E-Land later partnered with Iksan City to move the exhibition to the Jewelry Museum of Korea in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, where it drew a cumulative total of 60,000 visitors.

In 2024, E-Land presented clothing by 21 world-renowned designers at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul in partnership with the Seoul Design Foundation. In April 2026, it presented "The Imagination Closet" at the Magok One Grove branch of My Art Museum in Magok, Seoul. The exhibition featured clothing and fashion materials by 20 designers, including Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Overseas museums and luxury brands have also borrowed items from E-Land's collection. In 2012, the company loaned five film-related items to "Hollywood Costume," an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in the United Kingdom. In 2017, it lent four types of bags, including a trunk once owned by actor Elizabeth Taylor, for a Louis Vuitton exhibition. In 2022, clothing worn by Robert De Niro and others in "The Godfather Part II" was featured in an exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the film "The Godfather" at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in the United States.

The collection is also displayed at the group's hotels and resorts. Kensington Hotel Pyeongchang exhibits about 200 Olympic-related items, including Kim Yuna's skates and Michael Phelps's swimming cap. At Kensington Hotel Seorak, visitors can see John Lennon's clothing and a guitar bearing the Beatles members' handwritten signatures. Grand Kensington Seorak Beach in Goseong, Gangwon Province, displays works by Niki de Saint Phalle, Salvador Dali and others in its lobby and restaurant.

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