BTS, Parasite, and Squid Game Come Together: Hallyu Exhibition at UK’s V&A Museum Sells Out on Opening Day

Featured by Major British Media Including the BBC
The Guardian Awards a Perfect Five-Star Rating

The 'Hallyu! Korean Wave' exhibition at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in the UK opened on the 24th (local time) and sold out on the first day. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy, reporter Bang Jeil] The 'Hallyu! The Korean Wave' exhibition, which opened on the 24th (local time) at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London, UK, a museum with a 170-year history, has been drawing significant attention as all tickets for the first day sold out.

This is virtually the first time that a major overseas museum or art gallery has held an exhibition with 'Hallyu' (the Korean Wave) as its main title. According to reports, the V&A Museum website displayed a 'sold out' notice for tickets on the opening day.

The V&A Museum, named after Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, is a renowned institution that attracts 4 million visitors annually. It was established in 1852, following the success of the Great Exhibition of 1851. The museum, recognized as the world’s leading museum of art, design, and performance, is located in South Kensington, an affluent area of London, alongside the Natural History Museum and the Royal Albert Hall.

Entry to the museum is generally free, but a separate admission fee is charged for special exhibitions such as the Hallyu exhibition. The ticket price for adults is 20 pounds (approximately 31,000 won), which is not a small amount. Major British media outlets such as the BBC and The Telegraph have featured the exhibition, and The Guardian even gave it a perfect five-star rating.

This exhibition does not simply address Hallyu as a cultural phenomenon; rather, it covers the entirety of Korea’s history, industry, and popular culture. Upon entering the exhibition hall, visitors are greeted by the music video for Psy’s 'Gangnam Style.' The exhibition then guides visitors through sections on Korean technology and history, drama and film, K-pop, and fashion.

The drama and movie section features sets of old bustling shopping districts such as textile shops. Photo by Yonhap News

The first section, 'Becoming a Technological Powerhouse,' illustrates how Korea, devastated by the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, transformed into a cultural powerhouse in the 2000s through information technology (IT) innovation strategies in the 1990s, after experiencing military regimes and the IMF financial crisis.

The drama and film section features sets of old bustling shopping districts such as textile shops, with a model from the drama 'Squid Game' standing guard. This section also includes a set of the semi-basement bathroom from the film 'Parasite,' created by art director Lee Hajun, while a separate space screens the movie 'Oldboy.' Screens throughout the exhibition display films and dramas such as 'Seopyeonje,' 'Peppermint Candy,' and 'Reply 1988.' Nearby, traditional costumes and ritual tools from historical dramas are displayed, along with explanations of Korean values such as 'Hyo' (filial piety) and 'Jeong' (affection), and a booklet on the 'Three Bonds and Five Relationships.'

The K-pop section showcases the convergence of music, fashion, dance, and technology in K-pop, while also introducing visitors to a variety of Korean music genres, including traditional instruments, gugak-pop fusion, pop, and trot. The exhibition also highlights fandom culture, which has played a key role in spreading K-pop worldwide, featuring items such as idol light sticks and rice wreaths from fans.

The exhibition also displays materials such as the 'Learning Korean with BTS' textbook, illustrating the role of K-pop in the global spread of the Korean language, as well as the world's only grammar usage dictionary 'Terminations of the verb hada,' a Hangul keyboard, and a portrait of King Sejong.

The V&A gift shop is selling not only specially designed bags and booklets for the exhibition, but also traditional Korean patterned fans, Korean language textbooks, novels by Korean authors, books on Korean culture, and even kimchi and soy sauce. Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Genesis, this exhibition will run for nine months until June 25 next year.

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