The National Museum of Korea has achieved a remarkable milestone, with souvenir sales surpassing 30 billion won (approximately $22.09 million) in the first ten months of 2025. This unprecedented achievement was driven by record-breaking visitor numbers, marking a significant moment in the museum's 80-year history.

According to official museum data, merchandise sales from January through October reached exactly 30.6 billion won, hitting this major milestone two months ahead of schedule. This extraordinary performance comes on the heels of another historic achievement announced earlier this month, when the museum reported that annual attendance had exceeded 5 million visitors for the first time since its establishment eight decades ago.

The sales figures demonstrate a dramatic acceleration in the latter half of the year, revealing changing patterns in visitor behavior and merchandise appeal. From April through June, the museum maintained steady monthly sales averaging around 2 billion won. However, the summer months brought explosive growth, with July sales more than doubling to reach 4.95 billion won, followed by an even stronger August performance of 5.27 billion won.

Among the museum's most sought-after merchandise items are miniature replicas of the famous Pensive Bodhisattva sculpture, which gained significant cultural attention after reports emerged that BTS leader RM owns one of these collectibles. Additionally, a specially designed magpie-and-tiger badge has become extremely popular among visitors due to its resemblance to characters featured in Netflix's hit series "K-Pop Demon Hunters."

Museum officials attribute much of the recent surge in souvenir sales to the overwhelming popularity of the animated film and its cultural impact on visitor preferences. This connection between popular entertainment and traditional Korean cultural artifacts has created an unexpected bridge between contemporary pop culture and historical appreciation, driving both visitor numbers and merchandise demand to unprecedented levels.