BTS Leader RM Donates 100 Million Won to National Museum of Korea
RM has donated 100 million won to help the National Museum of Korea acquire cultural artifacts, extending his role as the institution’s global ambassador into direct support for its collection.
BTS leader RM has donated 100 million won, or about $74,000, to the National Museum of Korea to support the acquisition of cultural artifacts, the museum announced Wednesday.
The contribution was made through the Friends of the National Museum of Korea, a nonprofit organization that supports the museum’s development. Its sponsorship work includes acquiring artifacts, backing academic activities and helping improve museum facilities.
The association will use RM’s donation to purchase artifacts for the national collection and to support future donations to the museum. The designated purpose puts the contribution toward expanding and strengthening the institution’s holdings rather than a one-time event or promotional campaign.
RM is serving as a global ambassador for the National Museum of Korea. He was formally named to the role at a ceremony in Seoul on June 19, where he met museum director You Hong-june. In a statement released by the museum, RM said he was pleased to contribute in his ambassadorial capacity and would continue working to promote the museum and Korean culture.
The museum said it hopes his continued support for arts and culture will encourage greater public interest in Korean culture and museums. It also said it intends to respond to that growing attention through exhibitions and public programs.
The donation gives RM’s ambassadorial role a direct connection to the museum’s core mission. Artifact acquisition can add works and objects to a public collection for preservation, research and display, while support for future donations can help other culturally significant materials enter the institution’s care.
The partnership also brings together one of Korea’s most internationally recognized music figures and the country’s flagship national museum. By directing the funds toward acquisitions, the initiative centers the museum’s collection and the cultural objects it preserves.
For the museum, the contribution offers both financial support and a prominent platform for drawing attention to its work. For RM, it extends his public advocacy for Korean culture through a defined institutional role and a donation with a specified use. The museum’s next exhibitions and programs will provide opportunities to sustain the public interest it hopes the partnership will generate.