Pulmuone Museum Kimchikan Celebrates 40th Anniversary of the Kimchi Museum with Special Event

◦ Museum marks its 40th anniversary this year with a special event themed "Since 1986, Kimchi Museum: Gathering Memories, Building a New Legacy"

◦ 50% admission discount and complimentary Pulmuone products through October 4; free admission for all visitors on September 29    

◦ Special exhibition tracing 40 years of change, plus dedicated experience programs for children and foreign visitors

SEOUL — September 21, 2026 — Pulmuone's Museum Kimchikan announced on the 21st that it will host the "Since 1986, Kimchi Museum: Gathering Memories, Building a New Legacy" event on September 29 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Kimchi Museum's founding.

The Kimchi Museum first opened its doors in Pil-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, in 1986. Pulmuone acquired the museum in 1987 and has since operated it as a flagship corporate social contribution project. The museum relocated to the Korea World Trade Center complex in Seoul in 1988, moved to COEX Mall in 2000, and reopened as "Museum Kimchikan" in Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, in 2015. Today, as Seoul's only kimchi museum, it presents exhibitions that combine artifacts related to the origins and types of kimchi and the tools and spaces used to make it with digital content, and continues to introduce and preserve Korea's kimchi and kimjang culture both at home and abroad.

To mark its 40th anniversary, Museum Kimchikan will run a range of events, from admission discounts to a special exhibition and experience programs. First, the museum is offering a 50% discount on admission through October 4, and will give away, to the first 40 visitors each day, one each of Pulmuone's Gosohan Deulgireum Bokkeum-kimchi (savory perilla oil stir-fried kimchi, 100g) and Harupalo (a daily farro grain tea, 500ml). The complimentary items will be provided with the purchase of a paid ticket on the museum's 4th floor and may run out early once the daily quota is met. In addition, all visitors will be admitted free of charge on September 29, the museum's 40th anniversary.

From September 22 to October 4, a two-week guestbook celebrating the 40th anniversary will also be displayed on each floor of the museum. Designed as an interactive feature, the guestbook allows any visitor to leave a message.

Starting September 29, the museum will present a special exhibition commemorating its 40th anniversary. The exhibition is designed to showcase the Kimchi Museum's 40-year history alongside a variety of kimchi types. In the 5th-floor Kimchi Study Room, archival materials such as old newspaper articles and photographs will be displayed, creating a space where visitors can see at a glance how the museum has changed over the past four decades. The 4th and 5th floors will also feature 28 kimchi-related videos and 100 kimchi photographs.

Special experience programs for children and foreign visitors will also be offered. In the "Kids' Kimchi School AWARDS" program for children, participants can make Tomato Cabbage Kimchi, voted the No. 1 kimchi that past "Kids' Kimchi School" participants wanted to make again. The program is open only to teams consisting of one guardian and one child aged 6 to 13. It will run twice a day on October 3 and 4, for a total of four sessions, each lasting 80 minutes — from 10:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. After the experience, visitors can easily learn about Korean kimchi and kimjang culture through a docent-led tour of the entire museum.

The "DIY Kimchi 101" program, designed to introduce Korea's kimjang culture to adult foreign visitors, will run on September 29 and 30. Participants can make their own whole cabbage kimchi tailored to their taste, choosing everything from the spice level to the seasoning base. The program runs once a day, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., for 60 minutes, and is conducted in English.

Reservations for the special experience programs can be made through the program information page on the Museum Kimchikan website.

"This event was designed both to commemorate the Kimchi Museum's 40th anniversary and to express our gratitude to the many people who have loved the museum over the past 40 years," said Na Kyung-in, Team Manager of Museum Kimchikan. "Going forward, Museum Kimchikan will continue to go beyond spreading Korea's kimchi and kimjang culture — working harder to share the value of our food culture and offer visitors new experiences."