Between K-pop music and K-drama shows, Korean culture seems to have reached every corner of the world. But there’s so much more to this country’s heritage than its pop-culture exports. From intricate ancient art to cute modern design, Korea is filled with centuries’ worth of rich arts and culture. No other place captures the many facets that make up Korea’s cultural history like the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. It’s this rigor, in tandem with the desire shared by locals and visitors to learn more, that have made it the third most-visited museum in the world.
Established in 1945, the National Museum of Korea safeguards and spotlights the archaeology, history, and art of the Asian nation. Its current location in the Yongsan Family Park opened in 2005, and its sweeping building was the result of a collaboration between architect Robert Siegel and Korean firms Samoo Architects & Engineers and Kunwon International Architects, which together aimed to build a modern reinterpretation of traditional Korean architecture.
Its place in the world ranking was announced in The Art Newspaper’s list of the top 100 museums and art galleries by visitor numbers. With 6,507,483 guests in 2025, the National Museum of Korea came in third, only behind the Louvre Museum in France and the Vatican Museums in Vatican City. Impressively, it also ranked higher than two world-famous institutions, the British Museum, which came in fourth place, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was fifth.
“The National Museum of Korea’s main venue in Seoul boomed by more than 70%, from 3.8 million in 2024 to 6.5 million in 2025,” the report explains. “That is one of the largest rises in absolute numbers we have ever seen…It seems the worldwide fervor for Korean culture is translating into museum visits from both locals and foreigners.”
This success goes way beyond mere association, but the museum’s active efforts to join the conversation are noted. They have collaborated with K-pop giants like BTS and BLACKPINK. Their gift shop MU:DS also saw an increase in visitors looking for merch that evoked traditional elements present in the hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters, such as gat (the hat donned by the Saja Boys) mugs, pens, and keychains, as well as magpie and tiger accessories.
Besides that, the interest from both the institution and the public in the art is still alive and well. An example of this is the popularity of a special exhibition devoted to 16th-century admiral Yi Sun-sin, which set a record for cultural heritage-themed exhibitions, drawing in over 400,000 visitors.
The museum offers free admission to its permanent exhibitions, and includes English guided tours for foreign visitors. To plan your visit and learn more, visit the National Museum of Korea website.
The National Museum of Korea in Seoul has made it to the Top 3 of most visited museums in the world.
With 6,507,483 visitors in 2025, it was only behind the Louvre Museum in France and the Vatican Museums in Vatican City.
“It seems the worldwide fervor for Korean culture is translating into museum visits from both locals and foreigners.”
Eugene Kim, editor-in-chief of My Modern Met, visited the museum earlier this year.
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Sources: National Museum of Korea Ranks Third Globally in Visitor Numbers; The world’s 100 most visited art museums in 2025
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