The Chosun Daily By Heo Yun-hee
Collaborating with Egyptian artisans, Kwon’s Tutankhamun merchandise drives 150 million won daily sales.
The goods shop of Egypt’s Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), dubbed the “world’s largest,” is unexpectedly led by a South Korean. Kwon Jae-young (48), co-founder and finance director of “MUSEEUM,” the museum’s sole official souvenir store, is producing and globalizing merchandise featuring over 58,000 ancient Egyptian artifacts.
On the 18th (local time), Kwon, who met with reporters, said, “My role is to combine ancient Egyptian relics with design, craftsmanship, and storytelling so visitors can take a piece of the culture home,” adding, “We collaborate closely with Egyptian artisans and independent designers to create our merchandise collection.”
Kwon graduated from Ewha Womans University’s English literature department and worked at IBM before joining global investment banks like J.P. Morgan and Lehman Brothers. She directly experienced the 2008 financial crisis, during which she had to “pack her bag and leave the Lehman Brothers office” during the Lehman crisis. Later, while pursuing an MBA at London Business School (LBS), she met her husband, a member of Egypt’s Hassan Allam Group—a major construction company—and began her second act in Egypt.
The Hassan Allam Group also holds the operating rights for GEM. During the consortium bid for operating rights, which included four global institutions like the Louvre, Kwon participated as a bid manager for the Hassan Allam consortium. Kwon explained, “The Grand Egyptian Museum operates under a private business model rather than relying on government budgets or taxpayer money,” calling it a “unique model unparalleled anywhere in the world, where profits are shared with the government.”
Kwon established the souvenir store “MUSEEUM” in line with the museum’s opening. The keyword is “Best of Egypt.” Under the principle that “all products are made 100% in Egypt,” she visited embroidery, textile, metal, and glass workshops across the country to build a 150-person handicraft network.
She also developed trendy hit products. Kwon said, “It took 10 months just to review and select which exhibits to turn into merchandise.” The top-selling item is the iconic Tutankhamun Golden Mask. She noted, “The back of the mask is prettier than the front,” and explained, “We applied the navy-gold stripe design to scarves, mugs, and laptop covers, which sold like hotcakes.” On the museum’s official opening day, MUSEEUM recorded daily sales of approximately 150 million Koreanwon. A tote bag inspired by monkeys in Egyptian murals sold 600 units in the first week alone. Dishes and bowls featuring a golden fly design are also popular. Kwon said, “Our next goal is to expand beyond the museum walls to other Egyptian cultural heritage sites like the pyramids.”
