"Resolving the Sorrow of Artifacts" The Scene of the 'Costume Contest' that Turned the National Museum of Korea into a Runway

The static atmosphere of the museum instantly transformed into an enthusiastic runway. On Saturday the 19th, the finals of the '2026 National Museum of Korea Costume Contest: Nationwide Edition' were held at the National Museum of Korea. With the passion of participants who treated artifacts not merely as objects to observe but as things to wear and express with their bodies, the scene truly resembled the 'Met Gala'.

"Embracing the Stories of Artifacts" From Office Workers to Models, Diverse Transformations

The key point of this competition was how participants reinterpreted the forms and narratives held by the artifacts. According to a SUBUSUNEWS video, participants went beyond simple costumes to melt the historical backgrounds of the artifacts into their performances.

The 'Crawl Crawl' team appeared representing the Royal Seal of King Danjong and the Royal Seal of Queen Jeongsun, respectively. They expressed their sincerity, saying, "We thought about what it would be like to embrace the stories contained in the artifacts," and that they wanted to use this opportunity to resolve the historical sorrows experienced by King Danjong and Queen Jeongsun.

Working as a public relations team member for a pharmaceutical company and an event planner for an entertainment agency, they presented a delightful stage, saying, "It was a chance to go and go wild, a chance to be the best clowns."

Former model Lee Hye-jung took to the stage transformed into a 'Polished Stone Dagger'. She shared a special sentiment connecting the artifact to her own life, stating, "Since it is a sword made by carving stone, it feels similar to how I polished myself when I transitioned from an athlete to a model, so I feel a greater attachment to this artifact." She added that despite having stood on many stages as a model, she felt very nervous for this stage.

"Turning Complexes into Trademarks" Participants Who Grew Along with the Artifacts

The competition did not stop at merely providing laughter, but also created moments that coincided with the personal growth of the participants. Elementary school student Jo Yu-ri, a member of the 'Gilt-bronze Standing Glass Figure' team, gave a cute confession, saying, "I came because my mom enticed me with pocket money," and added that through the stage, "I gained the confidence to stand in front of many people and walk a runway." In particular, she mentioned that she was once upset because her friends teased her, saying she was Indian because of a mole between her eyebrows, but she was happy that through this contest, that mole has become her 'trademark'.

The 'Workplace Subscribers' team, composed of employees from the National Health Insurance Service public relations office, decorated their stage based on their wit, as they often film Reels featuring employees. The 'The School Bell Goes Emille' team, which recreated the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok, consisted of design department classmates; to express the ringing of the bell, one person took the role of the bell ringer and another took the role of a monk controlling the bell, capturing the audience's attention. The 'Muyeongmo' team, dressed as bronze bells, also filled the stage with jingling movements, saying, "We wanted to express humor using our bodies as much as possible, and the moment we saw the bronze bells, we thought it was a fateful encounter."

Blue-and-white Porcelain Carp-shaped Water Dropper Wins the Honor of the 'Grand Prize'

After fierce competition, the glorious Grand Prize went to Jeon Eun-seul, who recreated the 'Blue-and-white Porcelain Carp-shaped Water Dropper'. As a fourth-year nursing student, she revealed that she usually likes cute characters like octopus or Psyduck, and while searching for an artifact with such a 'meat' (character/vibe), she discovered this artifact.

In her acceptance speech, Jeon Eun-seul said, "Usually, I didn't know what I was good at or what I should do in the future, so I am truly happy to win the Grand Prize," and "This experience has given me great courage." This competition, where affection for artifacts met personal challenges, concluded by breaking the boundaries of the space known as a museum.