National Museum of Korea opens cutting-edge conservation science center

The National Museum of Korea has set a new milestone in the conservation of Korean cultural heritage with the opening of the Conservation Science Center on Tuesday, bringing all functions related to conservation science together under one roof.

Spanning a total floor area of 9,196 square meters, the center features facilities equipped with cutting-edge technology, according to the museum. The opening of the center marks the 20th anniversary of the museum’s relocation to Yongsan-gu, central Seoul.

“The opening of the Conservation Science Center marks both the achievement of 50 years of scientifically preserving and studying our cultural heritage and a new starting point for future generations,” You Hong-jun, the museum director, said in a statement.

The museum looks back on its 50-year history of conservation science through the exhibition “Conservation Science: A New Beginning, A Shared Future,” running on the first floor through June 30, 2026.

Meanwhile, the state museum recently announced its annual visitor count surpassed 5 million for the first time since its founding 80 years ago, becoming one of the top five museums worldwide in terms of visitor numbers.

You — whose 100 days in office coincided with the conservation center opening on Tuesday — attributed the record-breaking visitor count to the revitalization of the Children’s Museum, the use of media art to reinterpret artifacts, as well as the growing interest of young audiences fueled by the success of "KPop Demon Hunters."

Having agreed on the need to introduce admission fees during a parliamentary audit of the museum on Oct. 22, You said Tuesday that people should not be discouraged from visiting the museum.

“The current tracking system does not accurately show how many foreign visitors come to the museum," an official from the museum told The Korea Herald on Thursday.

As a preliminary step toward paid admission, the museum plans to introduce a visitor management system that combines online reservation and on-site ticketing to better monitor visitor flow. The admission policy will be further discussed in depth at a public hearing hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism next year, according to the museum.