Seoul: The culture ministry announced Thursday the commencement of a series of events aimed at promoting Korean culture across five national museums and the national library in Seoul. These events are strategically timed to coincide with the highly anticipated BTS comeback concert in the city center this weekend.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the initiatives will kick off on Friday, featuring exhibitions, hands-on experiences, and performances designed to bridge Korean culture with the global influence of the K-pop phenomenon, BTS. The concert, set to take place at Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday at 8 p.m., celebrates the release of BTS' new album, "Arirang," and is expected to attract approximately 260,000 attendees, including 22,000 ticket holders.
As part of the cultural celebration, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) will offer an English-language guided program for international visitors called "MMCA: Meet the K-Art," available until April 19. The museum's Seoul gallery will also showcase "BTS Sound Cube," an expansive outdoor media installation that will feature the band's music through projection mapping technology.
The National Folk Museum will engage visitors with a special program, "K-Culture Folk Experience with BTS," running through April 30. This initiative will highlight traditional Korean folk games such as "tuho" (arrow throwing), top spinning, and "jegichagi," familiar to fans from the group's YouTube show "Run BTS."
Additionally, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History will feature an exhibition displaying a time capsule donated by BTS, along with a related video, available until May 31. From April to June, the museum will conduct a children's program exploring the significance of "Arirang" as an emblem of Korea's modern cultural identity, drawing connections between the 100th anniversary of Na Woon-gyu's 1926 film "Arirang" and BTS' new album.
The National Library of Korea will present an exhibition running from Friday to April 12, showcasing literary works that have inspired the group's lyrics. This includes poems by renowned Korean poets Kim Yeong-nang and Yun Dong-ju.