Jungkook’s ‘Golden: The Moments’ exhibition in Seoul

In continuance with Hybe’s master plan to keep the ARMY “well fed” while the members of BTS are off fulfilling their mandatory military service, is yet another exhibition! I’ve been to the V ‘ARTSPACE: TYPE 1’ Exhibition, Jimin’s “MUSE” Smeraldo Garden Pop-Up and, of course, the BTS Monochrome Pop-Up just to name a few. However, this is the first one I’ve been to that required me to purchase a ticket.

Having been to so many BTS pop-ups and exhibits lately I guess you could say I was experiencing a bit of what is now being called “k-pop fatigue.” But, since JK is my mom’s bias, there was no way I was going to miss it, and I’m so glad I didn’t.

Each ticket comes with a random JK photocard and since there are set time slots, it is incredibly well organized. We arrived pretty much on time (1:20 PM on a Saturday) and only had to wait a few minutes before being ushered into the exhibition hall. They let people enter in small groups to prevent overcrowding and it made the overall experience way more enjoyable, especially when it came to taking pictures.

Inside the Exhibit

Jungkook’s “Golden: The Moments” exhibition is designed to commemorate his journey from debut to the release of his first solo album “GOLDEN” and it does not disappoint. The exhibition is spread over 2 floors and is divided into about 13 different spaces (14 if you include the shop at the end). It’s surprisingly extensive!

The spaces are a collection of his many awards and accomplishments along with some of his most iconic outfits and accessories, like his signature purple rhinestone studded mic. I thought the various photo zones were particularly unique, like an area where you can recreate his spotlight photos or put yourself right into one of his photoshoots.

One of my favorite parts of the exhibit was a theater-like space titled “Golden: Sounds” where you can put on headphones and listen to JK’s vocal track for the song “Hate You.” His vocals are so beautiful and clear, you can really feel all the emotion he put into the song. So immersive.

Of course, there are also lots of gorgeous photos, posters, videos and digital photo frames of him everywhere. It’s impossible to pick a favorite especially since there are unreleased photos too. Honestly, I’d have to say that this is probably the best BTS related exhibition I’ve been to and totally worth the price of admission.

The Golden Pop-Up Store

While the exhibit was very thoughtfully and cohesively put together, the pop-up store at the end was anything but “golden.” There are 10 exclusive merch items for this exhibit, but by 2 PM, 3 of the most popular items had been sold out even though all items are limited to one per person. This wasn’t too surprising, but what was surprising was the fact that they restock the merch every morning. More so, the staff encouraged visitors to come back in the morning to get the sold-out merch. Of course, that would require ANOTHER 35,000 KRW entry ticket to get to the shop. It seemed very calculated and definitely rubbed us the wrong way.

In the end, we did pick up a few small items for me and my mom. Personally, I found the Golden Mic Keyring to be the best Item in the shop. It’s so cute and I can’t wait to put it on my bag! They were also selling the Golden merch that was released on Weverse like the bomber jacket, t-shirt and blanket. So if you missed out the first time around, you have another chance to get your hands on them here. Surprisingly, this is the first BTS pop-up I’ve been to where there are no freebies for purchases. Definitely another disappointment.

Coffee with a “Golden” Touch

Once we finished up at the shop, we realized that there was one more part to the exhibit… a cafe event! Around the corner from the exhibit (in the same building) is Bachi Coffee, where you can get a “Golden” postcard and cup sleeve with the purchase of any drink. There are 3 floors of seating, but the second floor was the best by far. It was set up with cute little photo zones and plenty of framed JK posters.

Because the cafe is located in a hotel building, the prices are a bit higher then usual. But if you’re ARMY or a JK bias, it’s a great ending to the exhibit. If you’re lucky you might even meet other fellow ARMY and even get some cute freebies.