‘Dress Like a Museum Exhibit’ contest returns with nationwide expansion
The National Museum of Korea is taking its popular “Dress Like a Museum Exhibit” contest beyond Seoul this year, with regional rounds across 13 museums.
Contestants pose for a photograph during a costume competition at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Sept. 27, 2025.NEWS1
Once again, ancient Korean relics will come alive and strut down a runway at a museum contest. The National Museum of Korea on Monday opened applications for humans who want to disguise themselves as artifacts.
The application for the contest — titled “Dress Like a Museum Exhibit” — will remain open through July 31, according to the National Museum of Korea on Tuesday.
In the contest, participants transform themselves into artifacts at the museum in self-designed costumes that reflect their creative interpretations of the relics.
This year's edition will expand nationwide, unlike last year, when it took place only at the National Museum in central Seoul. A total of 13 subsidiary regional museums will also run provincial rounds to screen contestants who will advance to finals at the Seoul museum.
During provincial rounds, contestants will be allowed to reinterpret relics housed in regional museums and transform themselves into those artifacts.
Poster of the costume contest "Dress Like a Museum Exhibit"NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA
The provincial rounds will kick off at the Chuncheon National Museum in Gangwon on Sept. 5, where contestants will represent artifacts at the Seoul, Chuncheon and Jeju museums. Those who portray artifacts at museums in South Chungcheong’s Gongju and Buyeo and North Chungcheong’s Cheongju and North Jeolla’s Iksan will compete in the provincial qualifier at the Gongju National Museum on Sept. 6.
Provincial rounds will continue at the Daegu National Museum on Sept. 12, covering relics from museum branches in the Gyeongsang region’s Jinju, Gimhae, Gyeongju and Daegu itself. The final regional stage is set to be held at the Jeonju National Museum on Sept. 13, which will encompass artifacts from the Naju and Gwangju branches.
The final round will be held at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Sept. 19.
Five of the 20 teams that advanced to the main round will receive 3 million won ($1,980) in prize money. The other top five teams will earn 1 million won, and the remaining will claim 500,000 won.
Some 40 candidates competing in the regional rounds will earn 300,000 won as a participatory reward.
“The youth generation has become closer to the museum through last year’s contest,” You Hong-june, the director of the National Museum of Korea, said. “As this year’s edition takes a larger stage with museums across the nation, we hope that more people will discover and enjoy the charms and appeals of regional cultural heritages and museums.”
