As national museum rides 'KPop Demon Hunters' wave, fee-or-free debate rears head again
Published: 17 Dec. 2025, 14:00
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Visitors crowd the main entrance hall of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Oct. 17. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/17/43fae8bc-d437-45ac-ba1d-fdbaf41b7784.jpg)
Visitors crowd the main entrance hall of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Oct. 17. [YONHAP]
One of the most unexpected beneficiaries of Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters," Korea's largest national museum, faces an important question: Should it make the most of the sudden boom and impose an entrance fee, or should it lie low just in case the trend dies down and a fee discourages people from coming even more?
On one hand, some argue that the National Museum of Korea's free admissions harms the sustainability of long-term management, while on the other, they cite the need to guarantee "universal access" to culture.
This debate was reignited at a seminar hosted by the Korean Museum Association recently to discuss the necessity of paid admission at national museums and ways to improve services. The discussion between those in support of a museum fee and those against continued for more than three hours.
“We must confront the structural limitations of the free admission policy that has been in place for the past 17 years and the realities of operating national and public museums,” said Kim Young-ho, the honorary chair of the Korean Society of Museum Studies and a speaker at the event. “Visitors who pay for admission contribute to the preservation and development of cultural heritage.”
Kook Sung-ha, a professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of Education, pointed to Korea’s declining working-age population and rapid aging, saying, “We need to improve the revenue structure of national museums, not only for the present but for future generations.”
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As of 2025, entrance is free for the National Museum of Korea, with the exception of certain special exhibitions. Major museums and exhibition halls in the United States and France, including the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, charge around $25 to $30 per adult for admission.
“Even in Britain, where about 500 million pounds [$668 million] are spent annually to maintain free admission, there are growing calls for reconsideration in light of revenue generated by institutions like the Louvre in France,” said Kim Hye-in, a research fellow at the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute.
![Participants are seen speaking during a debate seminar hosted by the Korean Museum Association at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul on Dec. 9. [KOREAN MUSEUM ASSOCIATION]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/17/be4b4236-18ed-4b19-86b1-068f1d503f1a.jpg)
Participants are seen speaking during a debate seminar hosted by the Korean Museum Association at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul on Dec. 9. [KOREAN MUSEUM ASSOCIATION]
Some also pointed out that the national museum needs to lead the way with entrance fees so that other smaller galleries and museums can justifiably adopt or raise admissions fees to boost maintenance budgets.
“Paid admission can support the pricing legitimacy of private museums," said Shim Jae-in, head of the Gyeonggi-do Museum Association. "Some visitors may even shift toward private museums that offer diverse and specialized exhibitions.”
However, critics argue that the push for paid admission is a premature response to a “mirage of popularity” at the National Museum of Korea, and call for a longer-term view.
![Visitors crowd the main entrance hall of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Oct. 17. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/17/5d143c52-c108-49c7-83ba-bd4ec502d244.jpg)
Visitors crowd the main entrance hall of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Oct. 17. [YONHAP]
“There’s no guarantee that K-content like Netflix’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ which helped spark the museum boom, will continue, and consumer trends change rapidly,” said Lee Eun-hee, professor emeritus of consumer studies at Inha University. “Some are proposing different admission fees for Koreans and foreigners, but foreign visitors help promote our cultural heritage on social media.”
Foreign visitors account for less than 4 percent of all visitors at the National Museum of Korea — far lower than at institutions such as the Louvre, where the rate is 77 percent.
Critics also said that before adopting a paid admission model, the government should first reform the financial structure of national museums. Currently, all revenue from rental fees, product sales and ticketed special exhibitions goes to the national treasury, while the entire operating cost of the museum is also covered by the state.
In the case of the National Museum of Korea, revenue last year was 1.94 billion won ($1.32 million), while expenditures totaled 232.55 billion won — a significant imbalance.
![Visitors crowd the main entrance hall of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Oct. 17. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/17/2ec77bc3-1827-484a-ac84-a097d8bd1162.jpg)
Visitors crowd the main entrance hall of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Oct. 17. [YONHAP]
“While charging admission may be inevitable to reduce the burden on taxpayers and increase investment in preservation, digitization and research, the museum must present a clear plan for how it will use any revenue — for instance, supporting access for disadvantaged groups — in order to win public support,” said Jung Chang-soo, head of the Fiscal Reform Institute.
The free admission policy for permanent exhibitions at national museums began in May 2008 during the Lee Myung-bak administration to promote broader access to cultural experiences.
Since then, visitor numbers have gradually increased, and the National Museum of Korea in particular has seen a surge in admissions following the end of the Covid-19 pandemic and the positive reception of its exhibition content.
![National Museum of Korea Director You Hong-june speaks during a National Assembly audit in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Oct. 22. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/17/512e2171-fbc7-4306-8757-78ae3c20b829.jpg)
National Museum of Korea Director You Hong-june speaks during a National Assembly audit in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Oct. 22. [YONHAP]
This year, the museum surpassed 5 million visitors on Oct. 15, entering the global top five in museum attendance going by Art Newspaper’s 2024 rankings. The Yongsan location, which opened in 2005, was originally designed to accommodate up to 4 million visitors per year, leading to growing concerns about overcrowding and a lack of service infrastructure.
Fueling the debate was National Museum Director You Hong-june, who said during a parliamentary audit by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee in October that the museum "is reviewing various options regarding the timing and method of introducing admission fees."
“We are moving from an era focused on expanding access to culture to one that calls for customized services that reflect the public’s rising expectations,” said Jo Han-hee, president of the Korean Museum Association, during Tuesday's debate. “In addition to considering paid admission, we need institutional support such as tax incentives for corporate donations in order to ensure the sustainability of museums.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KANG HYE-RAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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