The National Museum of Korea's special exhibition "Our Admiral Yi Sun-sin" has become the first Korean cultural heritage exhibition to surpass 300,000 visitors.
The museum announced Wednesday that cumulative attendance for the exhibition reached 305,142 as of Tuesday. The milestone was achieved 83 days after the exhibition opened on November 28, 2025, setting a record for any National Museum of Korea special exhibition featuring domestic cultural heritage.
Museum Director Yu Hong-jun hosted a commemorative event for the milestone, presenting gifts to 20 visitors recorded as the 300,000th attendees and taking photos with them.
"The significance of reaching 300,000 visitors for 'Our Admiral Yi Sun-sin' is enormous," Yu said. "Public participation and appreciation constitute the measure of a nation's culture. The exhibition runs until March 3, and I expect we will surpass 400,000 visitors."
"History and historical figures are better remembered alongside artifacts," he added. "We will continue to hold exhibitions honoring great figures from our history."
The paid exhibition has averaged approximately 3,700 daily visitors, with more than 110,000 attending during the five-day Lunar New Year holiday alone. The museum noted that the exhibition's success marks a significant departure from previous blockbuster shows, which typically featured Western masterpieces or world civilization themes.
The previous record for a Korean cultural heritage exhibition was "Return After 145 Years: Oegyujanggak Uigwe" in 2011, which drew 200,227 visitors with free admission. For paid exhibitions, "Oegyujanggak Uigwe: The Meaning of Its Nobility" in 2022 held the record at 161,965 visitors.
Past National Museum exhibitions exceeding 300,000 visitors have all featured foreign art and culture, including "The Louvre Museum Exhibition" (2006, 580,000), "Egyptian Civilization: Pharaohs and Mummies" (2009, 440,000), and "Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London" (2023, 360,000).
"Our Admiral Yi Sun-sin" is the largest-ever exhibition dedicated to the legendary naval commander, displaying 369 items across 258 categories. Featured artifacts include Yi's handwritten war diary "Nanjung Ilgi," his long sword, and collected letters, offering a multidimensional portrait of Yi as both military commander and human being.