{
  "id": 8646812,
  "title": "From royal seals to water droppers: Korea's museum cosplay contest finale thrills onlookers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/from-royal-seals-to-water-droppers-koreas-museum-cosplay-contest",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-20T08:42:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/koreanheritage/20260920/from-royal-seals-to-water-droppers-koreas-museum-cosplay-contest-finale-thrills-onlookers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A golden royal seal glided down a red carpet to the rhythm of loud music, accompanied by two women dressed in period costumes. One woman wore a Western-style uniform from the Great Korean Empire era, while the other donned a green Joseon official's robe with sunglasses. The spectators in the National Museum of Korea's open plaza in Seoul couldn't contain their cheering as the women asked, \"Where did the state seal go?\" The seal, crafted from a barbecue restaurant exhaust hood and a large box spray-painted gold, depicted Jegojibo, the royal seal utilized for imperial decrees. Seized and transported to Japan in 1911 during the colonial period, the seal made its way back home decades after Korea's liberation. This spectacular entrance marked the climax of \"Dress Like a Museum Exhibit,\" an increasingly popular artifact cosplay contest organized by the National Museum of Korea. Starting as a modest program in 2024, the event has morphed into a nationwide heritage fan extravaganza, with 275 teams and 643 participants vying for glory this year. Over three times as many teams entered compared to last year's 83 entries. More than 2,000 people registered in advance to witness the spectacle.",
  "summary": "A giant golden royal seal swayed down a red carpet to pounding music, along with two women — one dressed in a Western-style uniform from the Great Korean Empire period, the other in a green Joseon era official’s robe and sunglasses. “Where did the state seal go?” they called out as thousands of spectators cheered at the National Museum of Korea’s open plaza in Seoul on Saturday afternoon. The…",
  "key_points": [
    "Golden royal seal glided down red carpet at museum event",
    "Two women in period costumes, one Western, one Joseon official",
    "Seal returned to Korea after 1911 colonial seizure"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "From royal seals to water droppers: Korea's museum cosplay contest finale thrills onlookers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/from-royal-seals-to-water-droppers-koreas-museum-cosplay-contest-8648883",
        "published": "2026-09-20T08:52:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}