The Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok is struck at the Gyeongju National Museum. Courtesy of the National Museum of Korea
The resonant sound of Korea’s historic “Emille Bell” has been incorporated into BTS’s latest album, marking a unique fusion of traditional heritage and global pop music.
According to the National Museum of Korea on March 20, a high-quality audio recording of the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok — widely known as the “Emille Bell” — was used on BTS’s new track “No. 29,” featured on their fifth full-length album “Arirang.”
“No. 29,” the album’s sixth track, serves as an interlude bridging the first and second halves of the record. The audio captures even the subtle “beating” phenomenon — a rhythmic fluctuation in sound intensity that produces a long, lingering resonance often imperceptible to the human ear.
During a live broadcast held shortly after the album’s release, BTS leader RM said, “We set the track length to 1 minute and 37 seconds (actually 1 minute and 38 seconds) to match the duration of the bell’s resonance when it is struck.” The title “No. 29” is understood to reference the bell’s former designation as National Treasure No. 29, although South Korea abolished the numbering system in 2021 to avoid misconceptions about hierarchical value among cultural assets.
Currently displayed at the outdoor exhibition space of the Gyeongju National Museum, the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok is one of Korea’s most iconic bronze bells, cast in 771 during the Unified Silla period. Visitors can also experience its sound and vibrations at the immersive exhibition hall “Between Spaces” on the third floor of the National Museum of Korea, while original recordings are available at the digital gallery of the Gyeongju National Museum.
National Museum of Korea Director Yoo Hong-jun, left, and HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, center, listen to the sound of the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok at the sensory exhibition hall of the National Museum of Korea in October 2025. Courtesy of the National Museum of Korea
The inclusion of the bell’s sound in the BTS album reportedly traces back to October last year, when Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of HYBE, visited the National Museum of Korea. During the visit, museum director Yoo Hong-jun introduced him to the bell’s resonance, which inspired Bang to request access to a high-quality audio recording.
The bell’s intricate patterns have also been adapted into official BTS museum merchandise developed through a collaboration between the National Museum Foundation of Korea and HYBE. Items include shoulder bags, card holders, hair accessories and layered skirts featuring motifs such as donor figures and surrounding cloud designs from the bell.
A museum official said, “We will continue to reinterpret and expand the historical value and appeal of our cultural heritage in modern ways, strengthening our role as a cultural platform where tradition meets contemporary popular culture.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.