Unexpectedly Smooth Visit to the National Museum of Korea Thanks to K-Pop Demon Hunters!
The National Museum of Korea (NMK) is supposedly super hot these days because of the K-Pop Demon Hunters merchandise.
It's a daily topic on social media, and it seems interest in the museum itself has increased.
I'd been thinking about visiting the museum for a while, but online reviews were full of comments like, "Parking is a nightmare, and it's packed with people," so I wasn't eager to go.
I was actually planning to just pass by.
After having *kongguksu* (cold soybean noodle soup) at Jinju Hoegwan, I felt it was a shame to go straight home.
So, I said to my wife, "Shall we stop by the NMK?"
She immediately said yes, but with the condition that we'd skip it if the parking line was too long.
But when we arrived… we were able to enter the parking lot without any wait!
Here is the way to the permanent exhibition hall from parking lot. It was a leisurely time still.
I was planning to just pass by due to parking concerns, but I was able to park easier than I thought so I could see it without difficulty.
Unlike the crowded scenes I saw online, either we hit a lucky time, or maybe it was because it was right after lunch, but the number of people wasn't overwhelming.
Room of Contemplation
The National Museum of Korea is so large.
Knowing I couldn't see it all in one day, I decided to prioritize the Room of Contemplation.
From the entrance, I could feel a different atmosphere.
I couldn't take a picture, but after passing through a hallway with a dreamlike media wall, you reach the space with the Room of Contemplation.
It's a quiet and calm space, and the starlight-like lighting on the ceiling and the subtle indirect lighting made me feel calm.
Seeing it in person, I understood.
Seeing the two Buddha statues sitting in the circular space, it was a space where you truly 'contemplate,' going beyond simply looking at exhibits.
I couldn't take great photos, but just briefly entering the Room of Contemplation made me feel like I'd been to another world for a while.
It's worth visiting the NMK just to see the Room of Contemplation.
The photos can't capture the feeling; you have to experience it in person! Haha.
After visiting the Room of Contemplation, I looked at various other cultural exhibition spaces. To be honest, these are more interesting with a guided tour.
If the timing works, you can listen for free, which would be great if you have elementary school-aged children.
Our timing didn't work out, so we skipped it.
I saw the Irworobongdo (Sun, Moon, and Five Peaks) in the Joseon Dynasty hall of the Central-Modern History Gallery.
I heard it's popular even abroad these days thanks to K-Pop Demon Hunters, and it felt nice to see it in person.
It felt rewarding and amazing to see traditional cultural assets getting attention in this new way.
Another interesting thing I noticed while looking around was how many foreign tourists there were.
It was the opposite of when I travel abroad and visit museums; it was happening here!
Indirectly experiencing the popularity of K-Culture made me feel strange but also proud.
I got one!
Shopping for merchandise was more difficult than I thought.
After finishing my museum visit, I decided to check out the museum shop.
Most of the items were already sold out!
Almost all the worthwhile merchandise was gone.
But I managed to grab a magnetic fan.
Later, I found out that the place I went to wasn't the main merchandise shop.
The main merchandise shop was on the first floor of the West Wing, but I only accidentally discovered it while heading to the parking lot to go home.
I was tired, and there were too many people, so I couldn't even take decent pictures.
If I have another chance to go, I'll definitely visit the merchandise shop first.
????????♂️ A Dad's Thoughts
Am I getting old? I get choked up just looking at the photos of independence activists.
The NMK is packed with people.
As befitting a national museum, the sense of openness inside the building was great.
From the quiet time in the Room of Contemplation to the feelings I got from the Irworobongdo and various other exhibits.
Also, I don't remember where, but the tiger media exhibition in the media hall had a lot of foreigners, probably because of the K-Pop Demon Hunters.
These experiences felt really precious.
And I thought that if I had a child, I'd want to bring them here to experience these spaces.
I highly recommend taking the time to visit.
No comments yet.
