Psy, Paris Hilton and Queen Elizabeth II all made it, but South Korean President Park Geun-Hye turned down her chance of immortality in the first Asian outpost of France’s famous waxwork museum, Musee Grevin, that opened in Seoul yesterday.
The new museum’s focus is firmly on the world of entertainment and, in particular, stars of the “Hallyu” or “Korean Wave” of pop songs and TV melodramas that have become the country’s most potent cultural export.
As a result, waxworks of global icons like Michael Jackson and Madonna rub shoulders with the likes of actress Choi Ji-woo - star of one of the original Hallyu dramas “Winter Sonata” who enjoys a major fan following in Japan.
“South Korea has become a major regional trend-setter and Seoul is increasingly a flagship Asian destination,” said Dominique Marcel, CEO of Grevin’s parent company, Compagnie des Alpes.
“Being here, we can attract not only Koreans, but also Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese visitors,” Marcel said.