Six Silla gold crowns will gather in one place for the first time. A special exhibition will be held to coincide with the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which brings together leaders from 21 countries.
The Gyeongju National Museum said on the 27th that the special exhibition "Silla Gold Crowns: Power and Prestige" will open on the 28th. The goal is to present Silla gold crowns, a signature Korean cultural heritage, to dignitaries from around the world visiting Gyeongju for the APEC summit. From the 28th to the 1st of next month, during the APEC summit, the museum will be temporarily closed, and public viewing will begin on the 2nd of next month.
A gold crown refers to a headpiece made of gold. There are six Silla gold crowns in Korea. After the first was discovered in 1921 at the Geumgwanchong tomb, others were excavated from the Geumryeongchong, Hwangnamdaechong, Cheonmachong, and Seobongchong tombs. The Gyodong gold crown was obtained from a tomb robber in 1972.
With this exhibition, the six gold crowns—previously divided among the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, the Gyeongju National Museum, and the Cheongju National Museum—will meet in one place for the first time.
Crowds eager to see the gold crowns are expected to boost attendance at the Gyeongju museum. According to the Gyeongju museum and others, museum visitors from January to on the previous month this year increased by more than 14% from the same period last year. During the Chuseok holiday period, about 150,000 people visited.