The National Museum of Korea said March 20 that the sound recording and decorative motifs of the “King Seongdeok Bell,” a cultural heritage item held by the Gyeongju National Museum, were used in a BTS full-length album and related collaboration merchandise.
The museum said the project stems from a memorandum of understanding signed in October last year by the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum Foundation of Korea and HYBE to help expand Korean cultural heritage and K-culture. At HYBE’s request after the agreement, the museum provided a high-quality bell-sound recording of the King Seongdeok Bell that is available as a public-use work. The recording was used in the BTS track “No.29” on the group’s new album, “ARIRANG.”
After the MOU was signed, museum director Yu Hong-jun guided HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk through the museum’s third-floor sensory exhibition gallery, where they listened to and discussed the bell’s resonance, the museum said.
The King Seongdeok Bell is a major Korean bronze bell made in 771 during the Unified Silla period. It stands 3.6 meters tall and weighs 18.9 tons, and is known for its imposing sound and design. The museum said the collaboration offers a new way to experience the bell’s distinctive “beating” effect, in which the sound swells and fades repeatedly and lingers softly.
The bell is displayed outdoors at the Gyeongju National Museum. Visitors can experience its sound and vibrations at the National Museum of Korea’s third-floor sensory gallery, “Space_Between,” and hear the original recording at the Gyeongju National Museum’s digital video hall, the museum said.
Separately, the National Museum Foundation of Korea and HYBE developed graphics based on the bell’s donor figure and surrounding cloud patterns for a five-item “2026 BTS X MU:DS Collaboration Merch.” line: a shoulder bag, card holder, hair clip, hairpin and layered skirt.
The National Museum of Korea said it will continue interpreting and expanding the historical value and appeal of Korean cultural heritage in modern ways, and strengthen its role as a cultural platform linking tradition and the present, museums and popular culture.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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