South Korea’s national museum merchandise brand MU:DS is set to make its European debut.
The National Museum Foundation of Korea said Tuesday it will present MU:DS at Korea House in Italy from Feb. 5 to 22 during the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics.
Korea House, operated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, will be set up at Villa Necchi Campiglio, a historic building in central Milan. The foundation said it plans to introduce visitors to K-culture through MU:DS, which reinterprets Korean cultural heritage with a modern sensibility.
MU:DS will appear under the global slogan, “MU:DS, K-Culture Unboxed - Reimagining Tradition, Redefining K-Culture.” For the event, the foundation selected 96 products across five themes: pensive bodhisattva, celadon, white porcelain, mother-of-pearl lacquerware and K-pop Demon Hunters.
It said items drawing on Korean motifs highlighted by the popularity of Netflix’s animated “K-pop Demon Hunters” — including a gat hat, magpie-and-tiger imagery and the Irwolobongdo screen — will be featured prominently.
The foundation called the appearance MU:DS’ first official entry into the European market. To mark it, 19 popular items will be sold on-site, including a “Pensive Bodhisattva” miniature from the “Mind” series, a magpie-and-tiger badge and key rings.
The foundation said it aims to use Korea House not only for sports diplomacy but also as a distribution platform showcasing Korean lifestyle products.
It said museum merchandise sales totaled 41.3 billion won last year. MU:DS also sold out within a week when it was introduced alongside an overseas traveling exhibition of items donated by the late Lee Kun-hee at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington.
Jeong Yong-seok, president of the National Museum Foundation of Korea, said, “It is meaningful to share the beauty of our cultural heritage at the Winter Olympics, a festival for people around the world.” He added, “This expansion into Europe will be an important turning point in confirming the global competitiveness of K-goods,” and said he hopes MU:DS becomes a national representative brand people worldwide want to own.
Separately, the foundation said it will support Naver’s group cheering event for the Winter Olympics for two days starting Feb. 15 by providing items including a “Denny Taegeukgi” key ring and a miniature bag inspired by a zoomorphic earthenware vessel.
Korea House will operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors can enter by reserving through the official website or applying on-site.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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