"A Carp Leaps, a Polished Stone Dagger Strides"... 'K-Artifacts' Rock the Museum Runway

[Financial News] Korean cultural heritage that had been lying quietly inside glass display cases donned citizens' fresh, creative ideas and walked out of the museum onto the runway.
The national finals of Dress Like a Museum Exhibit 2026 were held successfully on the afternoon of the 19th at the open plaza of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, Seoul, drawing more than 3,000 spectators. Dress Like a Museum Exhibit is a nationwide participatory festival in which people reinterpret Korean cultural heritage through costumes and performances.
Expanded into a nationwide event for the first time this year, the competition attracted 275 teams comprising 643 people—more than three times last year's figure, marking its largest scale ever. After fierce preliminary rounds held across four regions—Chuncheon, Gongju, Daegu and Jeonju—from early September, the 25 finalist teams took to the stage with a diverse range of personalities and messages.


The Grand Prize, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award, along with 3 million won in prize money, went to 22-year-old Jeon Eun-seul for recreating a white porcelain water dropper in the shape of a carp (blue-and-white porcelain water dropper), a donated work from former Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee. Wearing a golden costume, Jeon took the stage and perfectly expressed both the function of the water dropper, a stationery item used to pour water into an inkstone, and the vitality of a carp leaping energetically. Lying on the floor, Jeon flapped and thrashed like a leaping fish, earning praise from the judges and audience. Jeon, who said she was a job seeker preparing to graduate from college, shared her overwhelming feelings onstage, saying, "This award has given me great courage."

The Excellence Awards, or Director's Awards, went to five teams, including Lee Dae-yang's Pensive Bodhisattva, which performed a self-spin by moving its feet; another Pensive Bodhisattva by Park Do-hyun, who showcased a polished performance; the Twin-lion Stone Lantern of Jungheungsanseong Fortress; and the Bronze Bell.

The witty participation of several well-known figures also drew attention. Model Lee Hye-jung stood out after being selected for an award for transforming into a "Human Polished Stone Dagger." The wife of actor Lee Hee-jun and a former basketball player, Lee stretched both arms straight upward and performed a distinctive sideways walk before shouting onstage, "Son, Mom is doing well!" Her exclamation prompted loud laughter from the audience. Another team used the Korean Empire's imperial seal, Jegojibo, which returned after a painful history, to call attention to artifacts that have yet to be repatriated. Participants from Dongsanwon, a residential facility for people with disabilities in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, warmly recreated Kim Hong-do's genre painting Seodang. Artifacts of all kinds filled the stage.
Public interest in the event was also intense. Advance applications for the 2,000 seats provided by the museum closed early, while citizens who had come to the museum that day and stopped to watch added to the excitement. The booth area featured costume and hands-on programs, and performances by the Andong Mask Play Troupe and singer Ahn Ye-eun heightened the festive atmosphere.

Yu Hong-jun, director of the National Museum of Korea, highlighted the event's significance, saying, "It was a case of artifacts trapped inside exhibition halls coming alive in the present." He added, "The National Museum of Korea ranking third worldwide in visitor numbers last year was the result of creating opportunities for people to enjoy the artifacts together, rather than merely displaying them." He also stated, "As this is a festival unlike any other, we will prepare an even grander event next year."
Television personality Julian Quintart, who served as a judge, also praised the event, saying, "I look forward to seeing this dress-up festival, which began in Korea, grow into a global celebration."

[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter