RM donates to princess's robe restoration

The hwarot, a 19th-century bridal gown worn by princesses of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), that the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation has restored will be on display for the first time at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul from Friday.

The foundation announced on Wednesday that this valuable woman’s wedding robe was able to be restored thanks to a generous donation made by K-pop sensation BTS’s leader RM. The singer, known for his love for art and philanthropy, donated 100 million won ($75,227) to the foundation to be used to restore the hwarot, which has been part of the permanent collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art since 1939.

The foundation was able to bring the gown back to Korea and recently completed the restoration work on it. Before sending it back to the museum in California, the gown will be exhibited as part of the National Palace Museum’s special exhibition “Blooming Hwarot: Bridal Robes of the Joseon Royal Court” from Friday. According to the foundation, only about 50 such gowns are known to have survived — 30 of them in Korea and 20 in other countries. It will be displayed along with about 110 other items related to the bridal robes of the Joseon Dynasty. The exhibition runs until Dec. 13. [YONHAP]

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]