The National Museum of Korea’s product brand MU:DS is making its European debut.
The National Museum Foundation of Korea said Tuesday it will showcase 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 South Korea’s 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: contemplative bodhisattva, celadon, white porcelain, mother-of-pearl inlay and “K-pop Demon Hunters.”
It said it will highlight items that playfully incorporate Korean motifs such as a gat, magpie-and-tiger imagery and the Irworobongdo screen, which have drawn attention amid the popularity of Netflix’s animated “K-pop Demon Hunters.”
The foundation called the appearance MU:DS’ first official entry into the European market. To mark the occasion, it will sell 19 popular items on-site, including the “Pensive Bodhisattva Miniature 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 “K-culture distribution platform” introducing Korean lifestyle products.
It said museum product 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 brand people worldwide want to own.
Separately, the foundation said it will support Naver’s Winter Olympics group cheering event for two days starting Feb. 15 by providing items including a “Denny Taegeukgi key ring” and a “Zoomorphic Pottery Mini Bag,” as part of efforts to strengthen public-private cooperation.
Korea House will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors can enter with advance reservations through the official website or by applying on-site.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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