Biting cold and strong winds did little to deter the crowds streaming into the National Museum of Korea (NMK) in Yongsan District, central Seoul on Jan. 7. Families with children on winter break mingled with senior couples, while clusters of teenagers arrived in groups of three or four. Wherever this reporter went, including the museum shops, the atmosphere was dense with people. “How is it this crowded on a weekday?” one visitor exclaimed, scanning the packed hall in disbelief. The scene was not a one-off moment, but the continuation of a trend that took shape last year. Indeed, 2025 proved a banner year for the NMK, the country’s largest state-run museum. For the first time since its opening in 1945, it welcomed over 6.5 million visitors last year — an all-time high and nearly double the number recorded the previous year. Observers note that popular culture has helped fuel this unprecedented rise. The viral success of “KPop Demon Hunters,” which wove traditional Korean art and folklore into its visual universe, coincided with a broader shift, particularly among younger gen