Korean museum goods gain ground overseas
MU:DS, the museum merchandise brand of the National Museum Foundation of Korea will supply its largest-ever overseas order to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in the United States.
The foundation said Thursday that it supplied around $110,000 worth of MU:DS products to SFMOMA’s museum shop in connection with the special exhibition, “RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me,” which opens on Saturday. The shipment marks the largest single overseas supply deal for MU:DS to date.
The amount is about 71 percent higher than the combined $64,000 worth of exports made for two special exhibitions featuring donations from the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee at the Smithsonian last year.
SFMOMA’s museum shop will offer 39 types of MU:DS products, including “Pensive Bodhisattva Miniature,” inspired by the famed Pensive Bodhisattva.
The product features playful hand gestures, including a finger heart, double hand heart, and thumbs-up, reinterpreted with a witty touch by artist Choi Go-sim. It gained attention after being known as part of BTS leader RM’s personal collection.
The collection also includes various products inspired by Korean cultural heritage and artworks, such as moon jars, celadon, mother-of-pearl inlay crafts, and traditional wrapping cloths.
MU:DS products will also be introduced in the United Kingdom.
The foundation said it will supply 18 types of merchandise in collection with the overseas exhibition of the late Samsung Chairman Lee’s donated collection, which opened Thursday at the British Museum.
The collection includes “Sun, Moon, and Five Peaks” six-panel folding screen, “Clearing after rain on Mount Inwang,” and “Tiger and magpie,” which recently drew attention through Netflix’s animated series, “Kpop Demon Hunters.”
The foundation, meanwhile, is also showcasing MU:DS products at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Korea House for athletes and visitors from across Asia. It plans to introduce additional products later this year in connection with a Silk Road cultural exchange and Buddhist art exhibition at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.