BTS's RM becomes the National Museum of Korea's first-ever global ambassador

South Korea's national museum has found an unlikely new spokesperson in a chart-topping rapper. The National Museum of Korea confirmed on June 20 that BTS leader RM, born Kim Nam-joon, has been appointed its first global ambassador, tasking him with bringing Korean cultural heritage to audiences far beyond the country's borders.

The appointment was made official a day earlier, when RM met museum director Yoo Hong-jun for a signing ceremony and a tour of the institution's galleries. He took in highlights including the exhibition "Kim Hongdo: Painting His Era" and the upcoming "Amazing Thailand: Masterpieces of Thai Art," and was presented with a small replica of the Daedongyeojido, a historic map of the Korean peninsula.

The museum marked the news with a joint Instagram post alongside RM, pairing photos from his visit with a lengthy caption announcing the new chapter. The post described it as the museum starting a new journey with its global ambassador, noting that RM's appointment on June 19 was the first of its kind in the institution's history. It went on to explain that he had spent time with director Yoo touring the exhibition "Through Railways, Drawing the Era," among other displays and collections, and that going forward he would take part in activities aimed at spreading the value and beauty of Korean cultural heritage worldwide, given his longstanding interest in and affection for the country's culture and heritage.

The museum didn't pick RM at random. His relationship with the institution stretches back to 2021, when a social media post of his featuring the museum's "Pensive Bodhisattva Miniature" gave a quiet boost to a major exhibition the museum was promoting at the time. He's also put his money behind heritage preservation directly: in both 2021 and 2022 he donated 100 million won to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, funding the restoration of Korean cultural properties held overseas.

Museum director Yoo struck an optimistic tone about what the partnership could mean for the institution's profile abroad. "It is meaningful to share the beauty of our cultural heritage with the world together with RM," he said, adding that he expects RM's global reach to draw fresh international attention to the museum. RM, for his part, kept his response simple: he said he'd do his best to help more people appreciate the value of the country's cultural heritage.

Namjoon's reputation as one of K-pop's most committed art collectors is about to get a much bigger stage. In October, San Francisco's SFMOMA will host "RM x SFMOMA," the first museum exhibition built around his personal art collection, running from October 3 to February 7, 2027. The show pairs roughly 200 works split between RM's holdings and SFMOMA's own collection, putting modern and contemporary Korean art in direct conversation with international pieces — many of which will be making their first public appearance in the US. RM's side of the collection includes pieces by Korean artists such as Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun, Kwon Okyon, Kim Yun Shin, To Sangbong and Chang Ucchin, set alongside SFMOMA holdings by Kim Whanki, Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse, Georgia O'Keeffe and Paul Klee. Member presale tickets go live on August 4, with general admission opening on August 11.

The timing is notable: the SFMOMA show will open in the middle of BTS's "Arirang" world tour, which is currently scheduled to wrap up with three sold-out nights at the Philippine Arena in March 2027 — meaning Namjoon will be juggling a stadium tour and a major gallery opening within months of each other.