Museum Foundation Chief Plans Flagship Stores in Myeongdong, Seongsu-dong

"We plan to open flagship stores in Seoul's Myeongdong or Seongsu-dong to promote and sell MUDS," said Chung Yong-seok, president of the National Museum of Korea Cultural Foundation.

Chung expressed strong enthusiasm for establishing dedicated MUDS retail locations in urban centers, viewing downtown stores as a breakthrough solution to the foundation's current challenges.

Expanding the sales network beyond museums could boost revenue and improve operational efficiency, he said.

Chung identified improving employee compensation as his top priority during his three-year term. "The foundation has 80 employees, but our office space in the National Museum of Korea is only about 430 square meters—roughly 5 square meters per person," he said. "Our average salary ranks 280th among 380 public institutions."

Chung attributes this to preconceptions dating back to the foundation's 2004 establishment, when it was designed as an auxiliary body of the National Museum of Korea without anticipating the cultural industry's growth potential.

Despite MUDS gaining popularity both domestically and internationally—and the foundation being cited in the National Assembly as a model "high-performing" public institution deserving incentives—concrete changes have yet to materialize due to concerns about creating exceptions for specific agencies.

"With cooperation from fiscal authorities, we received holiday bonuses this Lunar New Year and secured approval to hire nine additional staff," Chung said. "We plan to address various issues step by step."

Currently, MUDS products are sold at the National Museum of Korea, the National Folk Museum of Korea, seven regional national museums, the National Hangeul Museum (currently closed), and Incheon International Airport. This limited availability contributes to "open runs"—customers rushing to museums at opening time.

While non-museum visitors can purchase MUDS online, opening stores in high-traffic areas like Myeongdong and Seongsu-dong could increase sales and improve the foundation's overall conditions.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Museum of Korea are actively supporting this initiative. Minister Choi Hwi-young and museum director Yu Hong-jun accompanied President Lee Jae-myung during his visit to the National Museum of Korea on April 26, actively promoting the foundation's achievements.

Chung emphasized plans to innovate MUDS production and distribution this year. The foundation will pursue a dual-track production strategy: small businesses and partner companies will continue handling diverse, small-batch production, while strategic products will be manufactured by suppliers capable of mass production.

The foundation also plans to outsource storage and delivery to logistics specialists.

"We will do our best to optimize operations, reduce workload, and expand MUDS sales," Chung said.