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Traditional culture goods offered by the National Museum Cultural Foundation are gaining significant popularity, giving rise to the new term 'Muits' (museum goods). Having gradually attracted attention over the past two to three years, Muits are now receiving global interest, coinciding with the success of the Netflix animation 'K-Pop Demon Hunters'.

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According to the National Museum Cultural Foundation on August 6, sales of Muits at national museums across the country reached 21,284,000,000 won last year. This figure represents a 74% increase compared to 2021 (6,591,000,000 won), and about 27% growth year-on-year. The number of online product visitors per day has also surged from the previous level of around 7,000 to over 300,000 recently. On new product reservation days, the number of visitors even reached 500,000. Sales for the first half of this year amounted to 11,400,000,000 won, and if this trend continues, the year-end performance is expected to surpass last year's results.

Muits are planned and produced directly by the National Museum Cultural Foundation, and recently, products developed in collaboration with external companies selected through public contests have also been introduced. Competition for these contests is extremely fierce. This year, about 3,000 entries were submitted, with 90 selected. One of these, the 'Gonryongpo Beach Towel', sold out immediately after release. The first batch of 500 units has already sold out, and an additional 1,000 units are scheduled to be supplied on August 18.

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The 'Color-Changing Cup Set for Drunken Scholars', one of the most popular Muits, was also selected through a public contest. The glass features the image of a drunken scholar from Kim Hongdo's painting 'Feast of the Pyeongan Provincial Governor', and the surface of the cup turns red when a beverage below 18 degrees Celsius is poured, thanks to the application of thermochromic pigment. Since its launch in December 2023, more than 100,000 units have been sold. In addition, a variety of other products useful in daily life?such as lighting, keyboards, pens, bookmarks, heat packs, and sauce bowls?are also enjoying popularity.

Kim Mikyung, head of the Product Business Division at the National Museum Cultural Foundation, analyzed, "The modern reinterpretation of traditional cultural content is proving popular. I believe the practical product lineup has been a key factor," adding, "Many people appreciate the stories contained in the artifacts."

The 'Moran Flower Mandarin Duck Set', 'Secret Royal Inspector Embroidered Magnetic Bookmark', and 'Celadon Inlaid Chrysanthemum Pattern Coffee Cup' selected in this year's contest. Provided by the National Museum Cultural Foundation.

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A large proportion of participants in the Muits contest are individual designers or small companies with fewer than five employees. The Foundation stated, "There are no special restrictions on entry, so anyone with an idea can take on the challenge," and added, "These days, there are many one-person companies with strong design capabilities, and their response has been especially enthusiastic."

However, the fact that supply cannot keep up with demand has been pointed out as a drawback. Despite relatively high prices, it is often difficult to obtain the products themselves. All of this year's selected items, including the 'Moran Flower Mandarin Duck Set' (40,000 won), 'Secret Royal Inspector Embroidered Magnetic Bookmark' (12,000 won), and 'Celadon Inlaid Chrysanthemum Pattern Coffee Cup' (75,000 won), are currently sold out. Kim also noted, "Because many of the participating companies are small, even if demand can be forecasted, cash flow may not keep up," and said, "We are considering measures such as advancing settlements or having the Foundation purchase products directly."

Muits are expanding their reach beyond museums through various external collaborations to broaden their connection with the public. Since last year, collaborative products with companies such as HYBE and Starbucks have been released, effectively promoting cultural heritage. Kim emphasized, "We are continuing external collaborations so that people can experience cultural heritage even without visiting the museum in person. This is part of our efforts to raise awareness and enhance the value of our cultural heritage content worldwide." In fact, the proportion of foreign buyers has steadily increased, accounting for 13% of total sales last year.