National Museum draws 6 mil. annual visitors, highest in 80 years

The National Museum of Korea has welcomed more than 6 million visitors this year, its highest annual figure since opening 80 years ago, officials said Thursday. The museum said it reached the milestone around 2 p.m., with the number representing nearly a 4.5-fold increase from 1.34 million in 2005, when it relocated to its current site in Yongsan, central Seoul. The cumulative number of visitors since its founding in 1945 has now surpassed 100 million. According to the London-based The Art Newspaper, only three museums worldwide exceeded this threshold in 2024: the Louvre (8.74 million), Vatican Museums (6.83 million) and British Museum (6.48 million). The 6 millionth visitor was identified as Noh Yong-wook, a 40-year-old resident of Seongnam, just south of Seoul, who visited with his wife and twin children. "It's my first time at the museum," Noh said. "I'm here to see the special exhibition 'From Impressionism to Early Modernism: Collectors of Light' and the Children's Museum. I'm thrilled to be the 6 millionth visitor." Museum director You Hong-june personally presented Noh with a comme

National Museum draws 6 mil. annual visitors, high...