- Korea’s first national museum dedicated to sports to open at Olympic Park on October 15, serving as a hub for sports heritage

- Some 70,000 items to be unveiled, with public participation events such as a “mission-based stamp tour”

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister CHAE Hwi-young, MCST), together with the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (CEO HA Hyung-joo, KSPO), will open the “National Sports Museum of Korea” (Director KIM Chung-bae), Korea’s first national museum dedicated to sports, on October 15 (Thursday) at Olympic Park (Songpa-gu, Seoul). Minister CHAE will attend the opening ceremony to celebrate the occasion with some 150 guests, including leading figures from the sports and cultural sectors and donors of sports heritage items.

The National Sports Museum of Korea is a hub for sports heritage established to document the history of Korean sports and to systematically collect and preserve sports heritage scattered across Korea and abroad. It will also use these collections for exhibitions, education, and research to promote greater awareness of the history and value of sports.

Preserving the “Records” of Korean Sports as the Nation’s Collective Memory

Some 70,000 Items Collected and Held, Capturing Korean Sports’ Challenges and Triumphs

Moments in sports live on not only as records and scores, but also as scenes and memories shared by the public. Extending from two basement levels to the fourth floor, the National Sports Museum of Korea brings a wide range of sports heritage together in one place, allowing visitors to relive the challenges and achievements of Korean sports and the moments when people across the nation cheered together. The first floor houses a special exhibition gallery, a café, and a lobby; the second and third floors feature permanent exhibition halls; the fourth floor has a rooftop garden; and the two basement levels contain storage facilities for preserving and managing sports heritage items. In addition, the existing Seoul Olympic Museum has been renovated to include a children’s museum, a specialized sports library, and educational and hands-on experience spaces, enabling visitors to explore the history and value of sports in diverse ways beyond viewing exhibitions.

The National Sports Museum of Korea currently holds approximately 70,000 sports-related items. Through a variety of artifacts and records, it presents the history and development of Korean sports and key moments shared by the public. Major exhibits include the winner’s medal won by SUH Yun-bok at the 1947 Boston Marathon; the football boots of KIM Yong-sik, a pioneer of Korean football; the competition uniform of YANG Jung-mo, Korea’s first Olympic gold medalist; the Olympic torch from the 1988 Seoul Olympics; and the hoop rolled during its opening ceremony.

To further boost public interest, the museum will host a stamp tour on October 17, in which some 200 members of the public will complete missions by finding key exhibits. It will also offer a variety of hands-on programs for general visitors, such as “My Record Card” and “Iconic Moments Studio,” to share the significance of the opening with the public.

A Space Where the Public and Future Generations Share the Challenges and Inspiration of Sports Heritage

Minister CHAE stated, “The history of Korean sports is defined not only by the records set by athletes, but also by the memories of all the people who cheered and celebrated those moments together.” He added, “I hope the National Sports Museum of Korea will systematically preserve our precious sports heritage and establish itself as a space where the public and future generations can share the challenges and inspiration embodied in that heritage.”