The **National Museum of Korea in Seoul** has announced a record-breaking visitor turnout, welcoming a total of 3,795,400 people between January and June of the current year. This impressive figure marks a substantial 39.7 percent increase compared to the 2,716,323 visitors recorded during the same period last year, according to insights from cultural industry sources.
Such remarkable growth represents the highest first-half attendance since the esteemed **Seoul museum** first opened its doors in 1945. It has already exceeded the total **visitor count** for the entirety of 2024, which previously stood at 3,788,785.
**Visitor numbers** at the prominent **Seoul cultural attraction** demonstrated consistent strength throughout the first half of the year, with monthly attendance surpassing 700,000 in both January and February, periods boosted by winter vacations and the Lunar New Year holidays. May also saw high turnout due to various public holidays, while approximately 536,000 people visited in June alone.
Reflecting **Seoul’s growing appeal as a global cultural destination**, the influx of foreign visitors to the museum also surged, experiencing a dramatic 68.8 percent year-on-year increase from 97,985 to 165,404.
This outstanding performance builds upon the **National Museum of Korea’s** remarkable achievements in 2025, a record year where it solidified its position on the global stage. According to data published by the renowned British art magazine The Art Newspaper, the museum was ranked as the world’s third most-visited museum, attracting an astonishing 6,507,483 visitors and trailing only the iconic Louvre in Paris and the Vatican Museums.
As **visitor numbers** continue their upward trajectory, the **National Museum of Korea** is widely anticipated to exceed 6 million annual visitors for the second consecutive year. Ambitious projections cautiously suggest that total **museum attendance** could even reach an impressive 7 million.
To accommodate the heightened demand, particularly during peak travel times, the museum has announced extended opening hours for the summer season. From July 27 to August 17, the **cultural institution** will welcome visitors from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., an extension from its standard hours of 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Its popular late-night openings on Wednesdays and Saturdays, extending until 9 p.m., will also continue.
