This post was created as part of Nexon PEAK activities.

Discovering 《Wind at Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward》 at Gyeongbokgung Palace

The Kingdom of the Winds meets traditional crafts as it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
A collaboration between the Nexon Foundation's social contribution program, Borderless, and the Korea National University of Heritage,
《Wind at Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward》 is on display at Gyejodang Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace.

I visited on September 9, the exhibition's opening day.
I was never a long-time player of The Kingdom of the Winds,
but I remember playing it briefly with friends years ago.
I went to see how elements from the game
had been reinterpreted as physical works of traditional art.

Heading to Gyeongbokgung Palace

The exhibition is held at Gyejodang Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace.

There are several ways to get there, but I chose the subway.
Get off at Gyeongbokgung Station on Subway Line 3 and take Exit 5,
which leads directly toward Gyeongbokgung Palace and the National Palace Museum of Korea.

Signs throughout the station clearly mark the way,
so even first-time visitors should have little trouble finding it.

When I arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace, I bought an admission ticket at the ticket office.

The exhibition itself is free, but because it is held inside the palace,
you need to pay the Gyeongbokgung Palace admission fee of 3,000 won.
Tickets were sold through kiosks, which also accepted card payments.

Finding Gyejodang Hall

After the ticket check at the palace entrance, you come to a bridge called Yeongjegyo.
Cross the bridge and head right to find a small gate leading to Gyejodang Hall.
This is where signs for 《Wind at Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward》 begin to appear.

There was exhibition information at the entrance, along with a QR code.
Scanning the code before you begin gives you access to

the digital catalog and missions you can complete as you explore the exhibition.

As I entered the Gyejodang Hall area, I found the Wind Information Desk on the right,
with an area for mission checks and merchandise information on the left.

I picked up an exhibition pamphlet at the information desk and began looking around.

The Kingdom of the Winds at Gyejodang Hall

The exhibition celebrates the 30th anniversary of The Kingdom of the Winds
while supporting emerging artists' creative work through the Nexon Foundation's Borderless program.

Borderless is a social contribution program run by the Nexon Foundation.
It offers game IPs as a source of inspiration for artists,
creating new opportunities to make and appreciate art.

For this exhibition, students with expertise in traditional culture—including heritage repair technicians, craftspeople,
and those who have completed National Intangible Heritage training—created works inspired by The Kingdom of the Winds.

Rather than simply reproducing game characters, the works on display
draw on the traditional techniques each artist has learned, including ceramics, roof tiles, lacquerwork, dancheong decorative painting, traditional painting, and embroidery,
to interpret The Kingdom of the Winds in their own ways.

Before entering Gyejodang Hall, I came across an area where silk-like fabric fluttered in the wind.
A brief introduction to The Kingdom of the Winds accompanied the display,
and I saw tourists stopping to photograph the graceful movement of the fabric.

It created a natural connection between the palace setting and the atmosphere of the exhibition.

The Works on Display at Gyejodang Hall

Source: Exhibition digital catalog

Inside Gyejodang Hall, visitors could view 4 collaborative works in sequence.
〈A Collar Holding the Wind〉, 〈The Rogue Rides the Wind〉, 〈A Panorama of Dragon Legends〉, and 〈A Cornered Pouch Holding the Wishes of Squirrels and Rabbits〉
were arranged in that order inside the hall, while 〈Guardian Beasts at the Realm's Boundary〉 was displayed outdoors, just outside Gyejodang Hall.

Visitors had to remove their shoes before entering the indoor exhibition,
with indoor slippers provided at the entrance.

During my visit, some of the artists were at the exhibition with people who appeared to be their acquaintances.
They stood in front of the pieces, talking and explaining the works to one another.
The opportunity to hear from the people behind the exhibition added something special to the visit.

To be clear, I did not join the conversation or actually listen in;
I was quietly looking at other works and was simply aware of their conversation nearby ㅎ...

The Work That Impressed Me Most: <The Rogue Rides the Wind>

My personal highlight was <The Rogue Rides the Wind>.
The Kingdom of the Winds uses 2D graphics,
so it was interesting to see its squirrels brought into 3D as sculptures.

This was also my first time seeing lacquerwork up close.
In photographs, the piece had looked more like a wooden sculpture,
but in person, the rogue squirrel had colors that went well beyond the natural tones of wood.
The colors were subtle and seemed to overlap in layers,
giving me my first real appreciation of the distinctive colors of lacquerwork.

Mother-of-pearl formed the stripes on the squirrel's tail and the decorations on the corrupt-official squirrels.
Even the tiny details visible only up close had been carefully rendered,
and I enjoyed discovering them one by one.

The work also featured ornaments made from thread.
I was struck by how gently they swayed in the breeze coming through Gyejodang Hall's windows.
Their movement gave the piece a fairy-tale atmosphere, as though the wind had become part of the work itself.

The Artists Behind the Work

Source: The Kingdom of the Winds YouTube channel

<The Rogue Rides the Wind> was created by Yang Ho-seong, Choi Hyo-ryeong, and Han Hye-in.

Yang Ho-seong is a certified heritage repair craftsperson specializing in lacquerwork whose practice focuses on dry-lacquer sculpture.

Choi Hyo-ryeong holds heritage repair craftsperson certifications in lacquerwork, gilding, and conservation treatment
and works with a variety of materials.
Metal and enameling feature prominently in this artist's work.

Han Hye-in creates sculptures and character-based works using lacquer.
This practice of applying traditional lacquer techniques to contemporary forms and characters
is particularly well suited to the piece on display.

Trying the QR Missions

Source: Screenshot of the exhibition digital catalog

The exhibition also offered QR digital catalog missions to complete during the visit.
Visitors take on the role of an adventuring squirrel, following the stories of five craftworks and their artisans.

The missions involve answering simple quiz questions about 5 exhibits,
with a mix of multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

The questions were fairly easy.
You could try again if you answered incorrectly, so there was little pressure.
Some questions asked you to count the tiles beneath the Four Guardian Beasts,
identify the beasts and their symbolic colors, or name the techniques used in the works.
Rather than letting visitors simply walk past the exhibits,
the missions encouraged a closer look at each work, making them a worthwhile part of the visit.

Source: Exhibition digital catalog

After completing all the missions, you can collect gifts at the reward desk.
These include a commemorative exhibition ticket, a game coupon, and a free 1-year idus membership.
The game coupon was particularly interesting.

Redeeming the coupon gives you the 다람쥐귀주머니 mount.
<A Cornered Pouch Holding the Wishes of Squirrels and Rabbits>, made for the exhibition using traditional embroidery,
has been recreated as an in-game mount.

The Wind Wardrobe Photo Area

A photo area called the "Wind Wardrobe" stood in front of Gyejodang Hall.

It combined the pixel graphics of The Kingdom of the Winds with the traditional architecture of Gyeongbokgung Palace,
making it a fitting place to take a photo to remember the exhibition.

Visitors could take a photo in this area
and choose one of the hashtags #이립의바람전통을잇다 #보더리스전시 #바람의나라전시
to include in an Instagram feed post or Story
as part of an event at the exhibition.

I felt too shy to have my photo taken there,
so I spent my time photographing the area itself instead ㅎ...

Browsing the Exhibition Merchandise

The exhibition merchandise was displayed just to the left of the reward desk.

Since I visited on opening day,
a media crew was filming there, and I felt as though I might be getting in the way of their cameras.
I did not get a proper look at the merchandise or take any photos 😥

Source: idus

A few items still caught my eye.
The pieces combining squirrels and mother-of-pearl,
such as the squirrel mother-of-pearl cup and squirrel mother-of-pearl keyring, were particularly attractive.

Source: idus

The selection ranged from currently popular items such as clicker keyrings and keycaps
to practical products such as bags, AirPods cases, wine bags, and dish scrubbers.
I enjoyed seeing the variety on offer.

The merchandise is not sold on-site; purchases are made through idus.

The actual products are on display at the exhibition,
so you can take a closer look at anything that interests you before ordering it through idus.

A portion of the proceeds from merchandise sales will also support the ongoing creative work of artists participating in Borderless.
I appreciated that buying a souvenir was also a way to support traditional art and emerging artists' creative work.

Why the Exhibition Was Worth Seeing in Person

I had a few reservations before visiting.

I had only played The Kingdom of the Winds briefly with friends when I was very young.
My memories were limited to a short period back when you had to pay after reaching a certain level,
so I wondered whether I would understand the exhibition's references.

Once there, I found more familiar elements than I had expected.

The most notable was the squirrel.
Squirrels are iconic monsters in The Kingdom of the Winds, encountered early in the game,
so I remembered them despite not having played for long.

The Four Guardian Beasts were familiar too.
The Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger appear as early as character creation,
so I recognized them even with my limited experience of the game.

It left me thinking that even visitors who do not know the game well
would find the exhibition's subject matter approachable.

Above all, I appreciated seeing the works in person.

The photographs I had seen beforehand showed their overall appearance,
but a closer look revealed the patterns carved into roof tiles and the fine details of the ceramic works,
the brushstrokes and pigment textures in the paintings, and the subtle, varied colors unique to lacquerwork
that were difficult to make out in photographs.

Works like these really do reward an in-person visit.

Things to Know Before Visiting

I arrived at around 3:30 p.m. on September 9, the exhibition's opening day.

By the time I had viewed the works, completed the QR missions, and left, about 15 minutes had passed.
Allow more time if you want to linger over each piece or explore other parts of Gyeongbokgung Palace,
but the exhibition itself is compact enough to visit without a major time commitment.

Since it is located inside Gyeongbokgung Palace,
I recommend including it in a wider palace visit.

By mid-September, the midsummer heat is easing, and spending time outdoors is becoming more comfortable.
You can explore Gyeongbokgung Palace, stop by Gyejodang Hall for the exhibition, and complete the QR missions
to receive exhibition souvenirs and a game coupon. They make a pleasant combination of activities.

Keep in mind that the exhibition itself is free, but admission to Gyeongbokgung Palace costs 3,000 won.

Exhibition Information

Source: Nexon Borderless

《Wind at Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward》

• Dates: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 – Monday, September 21, 2026

• Venue: Gyejodang Hall, Gyeongbokgung Palace

• Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

• Last admission to Gyeongbokgung Palace: 5 p.m.

• Palace closed on Tuesdays

• Exhibition admission: Free

• Gyeongbokgung Palace admission: 3,000 won

• Ages 24 and under: Free admission to Gyeongbokgung Palace

More details about the exhibition are available in the official announcements.

▼ The Kingdom of the Winds Announcement ▼
https://baram.nexon.com/Notice/List/2/149790

▼ Borderless Announcement ▼
https://borderless.nexonfoundation.org/news/proceeding/3532778

Closing Thoughts

This exhibition offered a fresh perspective on The Kingdom of the Winds through traditional crafts.
What stayed with me was the chance to look closely at the works and discover
the textures of lacquerwork and the details of ceramics and roof tiles that photographs could not fully convey.

Above all, seeing the world of The Kingdom of the Winds within Gyeongbokgung Palace
made me appreciate how well the exhibition's theme suited its setting.

The exhibition celebrates the 30th anniversary of The Kingdom of the Winds while offering a new way to experience traditional crafts.
It runs at Gyejodang Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace until September 21. If you are planning a palace visit, I recommend taking a look.