'House of Wax' extends Seoul exhibition

An exhibit showing more than 100 lifelike wax figures of well-known personalities is extending its run in Seoul to mid-June out of popular demand.

The World Wax Museum has attracted more than 360,000 people since it opened at the Convention and Exhibition (COEX) Center in Samseong-dong in December, 2005. Originally, the exhibition was to close at the end of this month.

About 80 of the total 115 figures displayed at the exhibition are on loan from the Movieland Wax Museum of Anaheim, California. Once the largest museum of its kind in the United States, it closed its doors last year due to dwindling attendance.

The Movieland Wax Museum collection includes life-size wax incarnations of legendary American movie stars such as Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable; some of today's top Hollywood stars like Julia Roberts, Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt and Robin Williams; pop stars including John Lennon, Michael Jackson, and Britney Spears; and other international actors, musicians, athletes, politicians and more.

The other pieces are by Japanese wax figure artisan Satoru Mazusaki. His works include models of Korean personalities such as former president Kim Dae-jung, singer Rain, BoA, Seo Taiji and more.

In June the exhibit will move to Busan where the show's organizers are planning to build the world's largest wax museum.

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