Korean national treasures are increasingly being recast through K-pop, with the 1,250-year-old Bell of King Seongdeok now serving as inspiration for BTS-linked merchandise aimed at global fans. The “Hip Tradition” trend that has spread in South Korea in recent years is moving onto the international stage through K-pop, broadening interest from K-content to Korean culture more broadly, including traditional heritage.
Industry officials said Wednesday that the National Museum of Korea has become a key venue for collaborations between K-pop and traditional culture.
A leading example is “Mu:ds,” the museum’s cultural merchandise line. Reinterpreting heritage through a modern lens, Mu:ds topped 40 billion won in annual sales last year. Its reach has grown further through partnerships with globally recognized K-pop, helping bring traditional culture to a wider audience. Riding the popularity of the Netflix animation “K-pop Demon Hunters,” a “magpie and tiger” badge sold about 90,000 units over the year, prompting “open-run” lines for purchases.
This year, BTS is set to take over the Mu:ds spotlight. The National Museum Foundation of Korea said it will begin selling products developed with HYBE starting on the 20th to mark the release of BTS’ fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG.”
The collaboration draws on patterns from the Bell of King Seongdeok, a national treasure held by the Gyeongju National Museum. Designers developed graphics based on donor figures and cloud motifs engraved on the bell’s surface and applied them to items including hairpins, shoulder bags, card holders and layered skirts. With BTS set to stage a comeback performance blending tradition and modernity at Gyeongbokgung Palace on the 21st, to be livestreamed worldwide on Netflix, the foundation expects the new Mu:ds products to draw interest from ARMY fans around the world.
The Hip Tradition wave has been driven in large part by K-pop. After years of emphasizing a more borderless image, K-pop artists over the past five years have increasingly incorporated traditional elements such as hanbok, helping spark interest in heritage among Generation Z.
BTS leader RM has also been credited with boosting Mu:ds’ visibility. Public attention grew after it became known that he owns a Mu:ds miniature modeled on the gilt-bronze pensive bodhisattva, a national treasure. Performances and videos have reinforced the trend, including BTS wearing reinterpreted hanbok while performing in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Blackpink featuring a jeogori jacket in a music video, the report said.
Collaborations are also expanding into museum spaces. The National Museum of Korea and Blackpink recently set up a listening zone inside the museum timed to the group’s new album release, allowing visitors and fans to hear tracks from the album. The museum also offered a docent program in which Thai member Lisa introduced museum artifacts in Thai, the report said, as a way to present Korean heritage to overseas K-pop fans.
Experts said the synergy between K-pop and traditional culture is a positive development.
Pop culture critic Jeong Deok-hyeon said, “We are moving from the era of K-content to the era of K-culture,” adding that events featuring globally recognized K-pop artists at the National Museum of Korea can be “highly effective” in promoting K-culture. Reinterpreting heritage through goods, he said, has become a channel for showing that “our culture is hip.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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