K-pop is increasingly being paired with Korea’s cultural heritage, with national treasures now serving as design sources for global pop culture. The Bell of King Seongdeok, crafted about 1,250 years ago, is set to reach worldwide audiences through a collaboration tied to BTS, as the domestic “Hip Tradition” trend spreads beyond K-content into broader K-culture, industry officials said.
Industry officials said the National Museum of Korea has become a key venue where K-pop and traditional culture intersect.
A leading example is the museum’s cultural merchandise line, “Mu:ts,” which reinterprets heritage with a modern sensibility. The brand surpassed 40 billion won in annual sales last year. Its reach has grown further through links to globally recognized K-pop, helping popularize traditional motifs. Riding the popularity of the Netflix animation “K-Pop Demon Hunters” last year, its “magpie-and-tiger” badge sold about 90,000 units over the year, at times prompting “open-run” lines.
This year, BTS is expected to take over the momentum. 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. Graphics based on donor figures and cloud motifs engraved on the bell have been applied to items including hairpins, shoulder bags, card holders and layered skirts. With BTS set to stage a comeback performance at Gyeongbokgung Palace on the 21st — to be livestreamed worldwide on Netflix — the foundation expects strong interest from ARMY fans around the world.
The “Hip Tradition” wave is widely seen as having been propelled by K-pop itself. Over the past five years, artists who once emphasized a more borderless image 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:ts’ visibility. Public attention grew after it became known that he owns a Mu:ts miniature modeled on the gilt-bronze pensive bodhisattva, a national treasure. K-pop artists’ use of traditional styles — including BTS performing in reinterpreted hanbok in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung and Blackpink wearing a jeogori in a music video — has steadily resonated with fans worldwide.
Collaborations are also expanding into physical 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 artifacts in Thai, aiming to help overseas K-pop fans learn about Korean cultural heritage.
Experts view the synergy between K-pop and traditional culture as a net positive.
Pop culture critic Jeong Deok-hyeon said Korea is “moving from the era of K-content to the era of K-culture,” adding that events featuring globally known K-pop artists against the backdrop of the National Museum of Korea can be highly effective in promoting K-culture. Reinterpreting heritage — including turning traditional motifs into goods — has become a channel for showing that “our culture is hip,” he said.
