UK-based Survey Highlights NMK as Asia's Most Visited Museum, Surpassing 10 Million Visitors Across Regional Museums

Courtesy of National Museum of Korea

The National Museum of Korea (NMK) in Seoul secured the sixth position globally in terms of total visitor count for the year 2023, as revealed in a survey conducted by the UK-based Art Newspaper.

With a reported figure of 4,180,285 visitors, the state-run museum positioned itself prominently among the top museums and galleries worldwide. Leading the list was the Louvre Museum in Paris, drawing 8,860,000 visitors, followed by the Vatican Museums with 6,764,858 visitors. The British Museum in London claimed third place with 5,820,860 visitors, while the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and London's Tate Modern art gallery secured fourth and fifth positions respectively.
 

▲ special exhibition at the National Museum of Korea showcasing 52 paintings from the National Gallery in London / Courtesy of National Museum of KoreaNotably, the NMK emerged as the most visited museum in Asia, outpacing other regional counterparts. M+ museum in Hong Kong and Japan's National Art Center, Tokyo, followed closely, with reported visitor numbers of 2,797,616 and 2,250,758 respectively, placing them 15th and 21st on the global list.

In a milestone achievement, the NMK and its 13 regional museums across South Korea collectively welcomed 10,471,154 visitors in 2023, marking the first instance of surpassing the 10 million visitor milestone.

NMK officials attributed this record-breaking feat to the success of special exhibitions held at the museums throughout the year. Notably, a special exhibition featuring the collection donated by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee, known for his extensive collection of Korean and contemporary art, garnered particular attention and acclaim.

Sayart

Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com