BTS’ RM is now the face of South Korea’s national museum
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RM (right), seen with National Museum of Korea director You Hong-june, was appointed its global ambassador on June 20.
PHOTO: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA/INSTAGRAM
SEOUL – BTS leader RM has a new title to add to a growing list of art-world credits: global ambassador for the National Museum of Korea.
The country’s flagship museum announced the appointment on June 20, citing the singer’s long-time interest in South Korean traditional culture and art.
It marks the first time the Seoul-based institution has named a global ambassador under its banner.
A serious collector in his own right, RM has been an active supporter of South Korean art and cultural heritage.
The rapper, whose real name is Kim Nam-joon, gave 100 million won (S$84,300) in 2021 and 2022 to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, a government-affiliated body that works to preserve and reclaim South Korean cultural assets held abroad.
At a ceremony held a day earlier, museum director You Hong-june handed RM a special-edition reproduction of the Daedongyeojido, the celebrated 19th-century map of the Korean peninsula held in the museum’s collection.
“I want to do my part so that the beauty and value of our cultural heritage can reach more people,” RM said.
He will pitch in on the museum’s promotional campaigns and help introduce South Korean history and traditional culture to audiences overseas.
The appointment comes amid a busy stretch for the rapper on the art front.
An exhibition built around his personal collection, RM x SFMOMA: Between You And Me, opens at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in October and runs through February 2027.
Co-curated by RM, it sets some 200 works from his holdings alongside pieces from the museum’s collection. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK