Busan is good

Museum Shop Thrives as Busan Museum Brings Cultural Heritage into Everyday Life

내용

Busan Museum, part of the Busan Metropolitan City Museum, announced that its Busan Museum Merchandise Shop, which officially opened on May 16 to showcase cultural merchandise developed in-house, has been receiving an enthusiastic response from visitors who had long awaited museum-exclusive merchandise and has been operating successfully.

The merchandise shop offers cultural products inspired by the museum's collection and its signature characters, providing visitors with a space where they can continue to enjoy and remember their museum experience even after their visit.

Located in the first-floor lobby of the Busan Museum building, the shop is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Anyone may visit except during closing days and the lunch break (12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.), and only card payments are accepted.

The shop's merchandise consists of two main categories: products inspired by the museum's collection and products featuring the museum's signature characters.

Products based on the museum's collection reinterpret the beauty and symbolism of cultural heritage with a contemporary aesthetic.

Representative items include the White Porcelain Mirror Vase and the Mother and Cub Tiger Keyring, both developed through the "Busan Public Institution Asset Merchandise Development Project" led by the City Design Policy Division's City Brand Team in 2025. Other products include an L-size file featuring Flower and Bird Paintings, a wireless notebook, and a miniature replica of the Gilt-bronze Standing Bodhisattva Statue.

Products featuring the promotional characters Heunggu and Maegi, created in collaboration with Hozo (Kwon Soon-ho), the artist behind the Kakao Friends characters, have also become highly popular.

Heunggu is a character inspired by tiger paintings that were exported to Japan through the Choryang Waegwan trading post during the late Joseon Dynasty. Reflecting the historical perception of the time, when people regarded tigers and leopards as a single imaginary animal, the character combines leopard spots on its face and tail with tiger stripes on its body, preserving the historical context represented in the original artifact.

Maegi is likewise based on a hawk painting exported to Japan during the same period. Together with Heunggu, the character conveys Busan's unique historical narrative and cultural identity.

Products featuring these characters—including pouches, color-changing glasses that change color when filled with cold beverages, and stationery—combine practical functionality with approachable designs, helping younger generations engage more closely with museum culture.

The museum plans to continue expanding the merchandise shop by introducing new products linked to its exhibitions.

To coincide with the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which will be held in Busan this July, the museum will launch new cultural merchandise, including eco bags and carbon pencils, in conjunction with the Busan Museum Special Exhibition (July 7–August 30). It also plans to introduce art merchandise, including glassware, created in collaboration with young Busan artists.

In addition, the museum will continue developing products that reflect Busan's history and culture, including a contemporary reinterpretation of cup-shaped pottery excavated by the museum from the Gaya period as modern mugs.

Jeong Eun-woo, Director of the Busan Metropolitan City Museum, said, "The merchandise shop is a cultural space where visitors can encounter the museum's collections and stories in their everyday lives in a familiar and accessible way. We will continue collaborating with the city, professional artists, and experts from various fields to develop distinctive museum merchandise that reflects Busan's unique identity."