RM shakes hands with National Museum of Korea Director Yu Hong-jun after being appointed as the museum's global honorary ambassador on June 20 in Yongsan, Seoul. [National Museum of Korea]
RM shakes hands with National Museum of Korea Director Yu Hong-jun after being appointed as the museum's global honorary ambassador on June 20 in Yongsan, Seoul. [National Museum of Korea]

RM, the leader of BTS whose real name is Kim Nam-jun, has donated 100 million won ($73,800) to the National Museum of Korea to fund artifact acquisitions for its collection.

According to the National Museum of Korea on Wednesday, RM made the donation to the National Museum of Korea Association, specifying that the funds be used to purchase items for the museum's collection.

The donation will go toward the association's efforts to acquire culturally significant artifacts and present them to the museum.

The museum said it expects RM's consistent support for culture and the arts to help raise public awareness of Korean cultural heritage, and pledged to respond with better exhibitions and projects.

"I am delighted to be able to support the museum as its global honorary ambassador," RM said. "I will continue to work alongside the museum to promote Korean culture."

Known as an art enthusiast and collector, RM has consistently supported the cultural and arts sector over the years.

Last year, he donated a total of 200 million won — 100 million won each — to the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation for the preservation and restoration of Korean cultural artifacts held abroad. In 2020, he also donated 100 million won to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Foundation.

In recognition of his cultural patronage, he received a commendation plaque from the Cultural Heritage Administration in November 2022.

RM continues his activities as a collector. Starting Saturday, he will present a curated exhibition titled "RM×SFMOMA: Between You and Me" at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The show will feature approximately 180 works, centered on Korean modern and contemporary art — including about 140 pieces from RM's personal collection alongside works from the museum's own holdings.


bbo@heraldcorp.com