How Much BTS's RM Loves Cultural Heritage

K-pop group BTS's RM has donated about $70,000 (100 million won) to help the National Museum of Korea expand its collection. The museum announced on Sept. 30 that he had made the donation to Friends of National Museum of Korea the previous day.

The museum support organization will use the funds to purchase artifacts for donation to the museum. It also supports academic research and museum facilities.

RM was appointed the museum's global ambassador in June. His latest donation adds financial support for acquisitions to his role in promoting the museum and Korean culture.

"As a global ambassador for the National Museum of Korea, I'm pleased to support the museum," RM said. "I will continue to help promote the museum and our culture."

The museum said it hopes RM's continued support for the arts will increase interest in Korean cultural heritage and museums. It added that it would respond to that interest with better exhibitions and programs.

RM has also supported cultural heritage preservation through earlier donations. In 2021 and 2022, he gave 100 million won each year to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation.

Meanwhile, he is preparing to exhibit his personal art collection in the United States. "RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me" opens at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on Oct. 3 and runs through Feb. 7, 2027.

Around 140 works from RM's collection will be included, most of them being shown in the United States for the first time. It is the first museum exhibition featuring his personal collection.

The show brings together about 180 works from RM's collection and SFMOMA's holdings. Artists represented include Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun and Chang Ucchin, alongside works from the museum's collection by Kim Whanki, Nam June Paik and Mark Rothko.

RM participated in selecting the works and developing the exhibition. He also wrote exhibition texts in Korean and English, recorded audio guides in both languages and selected the music for the galleries.