Journalist

Yoon Ju-hye
  • New Books: How AI Picks Winning Brands, Rethinking Anxiety, and Walking Japan’s Past
    New Books: How AI Picks Winning Brands, Rethinking Anxiety, and Walking Japan’s Past AEO: The Secret of Brands AI Chooses=Kim Yongseok·Lee Seungmin, Cheoeum Books. "An era has arrived in which AI’s choice becomes the consumer’s choice." (p. 48) A branding specialist and an AI specialist argue that the AI era will intensify a winner-take-all market, with the brand selected in AI-generated answers rising to No. 1. They say marketing is rapidly shifting from SEO, or search engine optimization, to AEO, or answer engine optimization. Where ranking at the top of a search results page once mattered most, they write, consumers increasingly accept the hyper-personalized “right answer” presented by AI. Companies that stick to older playbooks risk turning their websites into deserted islands no one visits. The book’s focus is summed up in its subtitle, “A blueprint for answer-optimization marketing that makes AI recommend you.” Beyond forecasting change, the authors lay out practical steps in plain language. They stress becoming “the one brand AI chooses first,” and offer survival strategies designed to stand out to AI systems. The authors analyze the kinds of sources AI commonly draws on to produce answers, including YouTube, video captions and NamuWiki. They also note that major platforms such as Gemini, ChatGPT and Perplexity favor different types of content, and they outline ways to tailor visibility strategies to each platform. The book is packed with actionable guidance, including: “You have to be the perfect answer for people with needs in a specific context,” “It favors raw, unfiltered voices in communities and reviews,” and “If you don’t stand out sharply, you won’t even get the chance to pass AI filtering and reach customers.” Written for easy reading, it explains technical terms briefly but concretely. A fictional commerce agent called “KapGPT” is used to show, at a glance, how AI arrives at answers. Sections such as “Three rules of writing that captivates both humans and AI” aim to deliver the essentials without filler. “You must provide information in a structure that is easy for AI to learn. A vague adjective like ‘Our product is good’ is meaningless to AI. Instead, you should connect specific specs and the problem they solve in a clear relationship, like: ‘Our running shoes have a 0.8-centimeter difference between heel and forefoot height and ample toe space, helping runners with wide feet and forefoot pressure prevent plantar fasciitis.’ AI prefers this kind of problem-solution structure, and it is much easier to match to a user’s question.” (p. 95) Kairos of Anxiety=Ahn Sanghyuk, Saramui Munui. Ahn, a professor in the Department of Film, TV and Multimedia at Sungkyunkwan University, examines anxiety from an anthropological perspective after years of research on the subject. He argues that anxiety is not simply a negative emotion. Instead, he writes, it challenges the identity of the self and can push people beyond an outdated knowledge system toward becoming a new subject. He suggests that anxiety felt by people facing the waves of the AI era can be seen as a paradoxical mechanism of hope that helps reveal the self’s possibilities. Drawing on the works and theories of philosophers Søren Kierkegaard and Jacques Lacan, Ahn takes a layered look at modern inner life. He reinterprets anxiety not as something to eliminate, but as a time for creative decision-making to discover a new self — a “kairos.” Why Walk Japan=Lim Byeongsik, Dione. Lim, a former journalist, spent two years walking from Ibusuki in Japan’s far south to Wakkanai in the far north, visiting sites tied to historical disputes. Along the way, he writes, he encountered multiple faces of Japan at once: a Japan that distorts history, a Japan that stays silent about war crimes, a Japan that reflects on wrongdoing, and a Japan that moves to correct past errors. Avoiding a simple black-and-white frame of perpetrator and victim, he describes what he saw by walking each place and meeting a range of people. The book visits locations marked by heavy history, including Fukuoka, where the tragic deaths of Yun Dong-ju and Song Mong-gyu remain; the ruins of Hizen Nagoya Castle, described as a starting point for the invasion of Korea; and Ibusuki and Chiran, where traces remain of the fanaticism surrounding kamikaze suicide units. Through the life of Japanese lawyer Fuse Tatsuji, who defended Koreans, Lim raises questions about responsibility and reconciliation. 2026-03-23 16:06:44
  • Korea Content Agency Opens 2026 Startup Support Program Applications
    Korea Content Agency Opens 2026 Startup Support Program Applications The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency, or KOCCA, said on the 23rd they are recruiting companies to take part in the “2026 Content Startup Support Program,” which is designed to back promising content firms from discovery through growth. The program will select 42 projects across three tracks and provide commercialization funding and growth-support programs. Under the “2026 Accelerator-Linked Support” track, KOCCA will select two accelerators and 18 content companies that have been in business for seven years or less. Each company can receive up to 90 million won in commercialization funding, along with startup incubation programs. Selected companies will be able to use the accelerators’ expertise and networks for investment connections, professional consulting and networking support, KOCCA said, aiming to strengthen competitiveness and promote a private-sector-led startup ecosystem. The “2026 Investment-Linked Scale-Up Program” targets 12 companies with a record of attracting private investment. Companies that have secured a single investment of at least 400 million won since January 2024 can receive up to 180 million won in commercialization funding. The “2026 Co-Growth Support Program Linked to Leading Companies” will be run in cooperation with major partners including Naver Cloud, Lotte World, Samsung C&T, Epic Games Korea, Gen.G and Hyundai Engineering & Construction. KOCCA will select 12 content companies that have been in business for at least three years but no more than seven years, offering up to 68 million won in commercialization funding and opportunities to carry out joint projects. A briefing session on the 2026 program will be held at 2 p.m. March 27 in the conference room on the 11th floor of the Gwanghwamun CKL Corporate Support Center. KOCCA said it will explain support details by track, how to apply and key cautions, and will also offer on-site consultations. Details on how to apply and required documents are available on the KOCCA website and the e-Nara Help website. Applications close at 11 a.m. April 8. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-23 08:45:15
  • Korea’s National Museums, Library Launch BTS-Themed Programs for Visitors
    Korea’s National Museums, Library Launch BTS-Themed Programs for Visitors With BTS’ comeback performance at Gwanghwamun now over, national cultural institutions are rolling out programs aimed at keeping the momentum going for visitors in South Korea. The events include exhibitions, hands-on activities and performances introducing the depth and range of Korean culture. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on the 22nd that five institutions are running BTS-related special programs: the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the National Folk Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History and the National Library of Korea. The ministry said the programs were designed to help visitors experience K-culture. The National Museum of Korea released an English-language video in which a museum guide introduces cultural treasures BTS members are known to favor, including the pensive bodhisattva statue and the moon jar. The National Museum Foundation of Korea, working with HYBE, developed merchandise using objects from the museum’s collection and is selling the items at museum shops and other outlets. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is running a program for international visitors, “MMCA: Meet the K-Art,” offering expert-led explanations through April 19. The National Folk Museum of Korea is operating an outdoor “K-playground” where visitors can try traditional games such as tuho, spinning tops and jegichagi, featured in the holiday episode of the YouTube series “RUN BTS!” The museum also holds a Saturday performance, “K-Heung Hanmadang,” featuring BTS songs with Korean elements — including “IDOL” and “ON” — along with introductions to traditional instruments, rhythms and hanbok referenced by the group. The program runs through April 30. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History is displaying a “time capsule” donated by BTS and related videos through May 31. It will also run a children’s education program, “Arirang of Rock (樂),” from April through June, linking the 100th anniversary of director Na Woon-gyu’s film “Arirang” (1926) with BTS’ “Arirang” performance (2026) to explore the song as popular culture in modern and contemporary history. The National Library of Korea is holding a book display at its Digital Library under the theme “Books That Inspired BTS Music!” The exhibit brings together literary works said to have inspired BTS members, including Kim Yeong-rang’s “Until the Peonies Bloom” and Yun Dong-ju’s “Boy.” The ministry said, “This event will turn the BTS performance into a comprehensive cultural festival where Korea’s history, art and literature come together,” adding that it expects the effort to raise South Korea’s cultural profile and help attract K-culture tourists. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-23 06:05:27
  • Artist Park Chan-kyong Recasts Zen Tales in Solo Show Eyeball Zen Master at Kukje Gallery
    Artist Park Chan-kyong Recasts Zen Tales in Solo Show 'Eyeball Zen Master' at Kukje Gallery In Park Chan-kyong’s painting “Eyeball Zen Master” (2025), a disciple whose eyeball has been torn out is smiling. Blood pours from the wound — an emergency by any measure — yet a strange grin spreads across his face. The work is a reworking of a Buddhist story about Guji Zen Master. The tale says Guji taught by raising a single finger when asked about the Dharma. A novice monk copied the gesture without understanding it, and Guji cut off the boy’s finger. The story does not end there: Guji later summoned the novice and asked, “What is the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma?” As the novice tried to raise his index finger, he saw it was gone and, the story says, reached enlightenment. Park replaced the finger with an eyeball to make the theme his own. “As a painter, or a visual artist, if I’m dealing with the riddle-like stories of Zen koans, I thought the eye worked better than the finger,” he said. A representative of the Jogye Order offered a blunt explanation: “The point is that everything is absent.” The representative continued: “It’s the realization of, ‘I said it was there when it wasn’t.’ It exists, yet it doesn’t; it doesn’t exist, yet it does. Knowing that you don’t know is the beginning. Then you can begin from there.” Park discussed appropriation, transformation and artistic identity at a press preview March 19 for his solo exhibition “Eyeball Zen Master” at Kukje Gallery in Seoul. “I can’t say my work lacks individuality, but my main interest is less in finding an original expression of Korean modernization than in recreating stories and pictorial motifs that have been handed down for a long time,” he said. “I like going to temples and taking photographs. From that process, I transform or borrow motifs I find in paintings.” The exhibition includes works that reshape Buddhist episodes into what Park described as a kind of “Zen Buddhist grotesque SF.” They include “Huike Cutting Off His Arm” (2026), based on the story of Huike severing his arm in pursuit of the Way, and “Hyetong Zen Master” (2025), his take on the story of Hyetong showing resolve to learn the Dharma by carrying a brazier on his head. The gallery space also echoes a temple. “When you go to a temple, you see a lot of dark browns and greens,” Park said. “I painted the exhibition space in those colors to create that atmosphere.” In “The Late-Arriving Bodhisattva — Diorama” (2026), Park replaces the Buddha and the disciple Mahakashyapa with the Buddha and a rabbit. He referred to a commonly depicted scene in which the Buddha extends his feet in welcome when Mahakashyapa arrives late to the cremation. “But I think painting it exactly as it was long ago isn’t very realistic,” Park said. “This is a much more gloomy and troubled era, so I changed it to a lonelier scene, with a rabbit looking at the Buddha’s feet.” Park said encountering “Eyeball Zen Master” can feel like looking at a pagoda. “My attitude toward tradition is similar to the feeling of looking at the pagoda in the painting ‘Brother-and-Sister Pagoda,’” he said. “When I saw that pagoda before, it felt familiar and unfamiliar at the same time — like I almost understood it, but didn’t. I wanted to show that feeling. The figures in the painting looking at the pagoda and viewers looking at my paintings are the same.” The exhibition runs through May 10 at Kukje Gallery K1. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-23 06:03:29
  • National Museum sound of Silla-era bell used in BTS album track, merch
    National Museum sound of Silla-era bell used in BTS album track, merch The National Museum of Korea said March 20 that the sound recording and decorative motifs of the “King Seongdeok Bell,” a cultural heritage item held by the Gyeongju National Museum, were used in a BTS full-length album and related collaboration merchandise. The museum said the project stems from a memorandum of understanding signed in October last year by the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum Foundation of Korea and HYBE to help expand Korean cultural heritage and K-culture. At HYBE’s request after the agreement, the museum provided a high-quality bell-sound recording of the King Seongdeok Bell that is available as a public-use work. The recording was used in the BTS track “No.29” on the group’s new album, “ARIRANG.” After the MOU was signed, museum director Yu Hong-jun guided HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk through the museum’s third-floor sensory exhibition gallery, where they listened to and discussed the bell’s resonance, the museum said. The King Seongdeok Bell is a major Korean bronze bell made in 771 during the Unified Silla period. It stands 3.6 meters tall and weighs 18.9 tons, and is known for its imposing sound and design. The museum said the collaboration offers a new way to experience the bell’s distinctive “beating” effect, in which the sound swells and fades repeatedly and lingers softly. The bell is displayed outdoors at the Gyeongju National Museum. Visitors can experience its sound and vibrations at the National Museum of Korea’s third-floor sensory gallery, “Space_Between,” and hear the original recording at the Gyeongju National Museum’s digital video hall, the museum said. Separately, the National Museum Foundation of Korea and HYBE developed graphics based on the bell’s donor figure and surrounding cloud patterns for a five-item “2026 BTS X MU:DS Collaboration Merch.” line: a shoulder bag, card holder, hair clip, hairpin and layered skirt. The National Museum of Korea said it will continue interpreting and expanding the historical value and appeal of Korean cultural heritage in modern ways, and strengthen its role as a cultural platform linking tradition and the present, museums and popular culture.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-20 17:12:20
  • Road Closures Begin at 9 p.m. Ahead of BTS Comeback Show at Gwanghwamun
    Road Closures Begin at 9 p.m. Ahead of BTS Comeback Show at Gwanghwamun "Starting at 9 tonight, everything will be closed except for two lanes. Stage installation will continue. Seating will be set up across all areas except those two lanes. Eight large LED screens will also be installed," said Kim Jong-gi, head of HYBE’s Policy Operations Center. Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young visited the Gwanghwamun area on March 20 to check preparations and the safety management system for BTS’ comeback concert. He also inspected the ministry’s situation management headquarters set up at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. With as many as 260,000 people expected to gather around Gwanghwamun and the Gyeongbokgung area on the day of the concert, Choi urged organizers and relevant agencies to coordinate closely to ensure a safe environment for attendees. Kim said the stage backdrop will effectively be Gwanghwamun Gate and the palace wall, adding that lighting for a facade will be installed behind the pillar on the right side of the stage. He emphasized that special efforts are being made to protect cultural heritage. Choi also stressed a hard line against ticket scalping. "Even if you bought a scalped ticket, we will block it through various measures, including ID checks," he said. He added that transferring wristbands would also be stopped, including by using hand stamps to prevent entry, and reiterated that scalped tickets would not get people into the venue. "Scalped tickets are 100% a scam," Choi said. "People should never buy them. You will end up disappointed at the site." Choi then visited the ministry’s situation management headquarters at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History to review overall crisis-response plans. To strengthen safety readiness, the ministry will issue a ‘caution’ level disaster alert for concert venues in Seoul’s Jung and Jongno districts from 7 a.m. March 21 to 7 a.m. March 22. It is the first time the ministry has issued a crisis alert specifically for concert-venue disasters. Choi asked staff whether anything more was needed, saying the work environment must not be lacking to maintain focus and that supplies should be well stocked. He also visited HYBE’s safety management headquarters next to the ministry’s situation room and asked it to work closely with the ministry to ensure the concert ends smoothly. "This concert will be a highly symbolic moment to showcase the appeal of K-culture to people around the world," Choi said. "The government is working with relevant ministries to review crowd-management measures and venue safety rules and to prepare for all possible situations." "What matters most for a successful performance is safety," he said, calling for public cooperation so the concert can be held safely based on mature civic awareness. 2026-03-20 11:36:21
  • Korea Pavilion at Venice Biennale to Explore ‘Liberation Space’; Han Kang Sculpture Included
    Korea Pavilion at Venice Biennale to Explore ‘Liberation Space’; Han Kang Sculpture Included The theme of the Korea Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale, opening in May, is “Liberation Space: Fortress and Nest.” The exhibition revisits the “liberation space” of 1945 to 1948 — the transitional period after Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule and before the establishment of a new state — and extends it as an ongoing question in the present, reexamined through aesthetics. Nobel literature laureate Han Kang is also taking part. Choi Bitna, the artistic director overseeing the Korea Pavilion exhibition, said at a March 19 news conference at the ARKO Art Center in Seoul that Han’s Nobel lecture resonated with her. “As the line ‘Can the past help the present? Can the dead save the living?’ gave an echo, I couldn’t help but ask what role art — or I — can play,” she said. Choi added that the “Dec. 3 illegal martial law incident,” impeachment and a change of government awakened a shared civic awareness among South Koreans about the country’s formation and the development of its democratic system. “I hoped I could do something, with a sense of repaying those who stood in the square for a long time,” she said. The pavilion will be presented anew as a temporary monument for “liberation space,” described as both a site of liberation and an ongoing space for practicing a new concept of sovereignty. Artists Choi Go-eun and Noh Hyeri will present sculptural installations and performance-based works titled “Meridian” and “Bearing,” respectively. Choi said she focused on 1995, when the Korea Pavilion was built. “That was when the Gwangju Biennale was first held and the Korea National University of Arts was established. The demolition of the former Japanese Government-General building also began,” she said. “It was a moment of transition.” The pavilion will also invite fellows from across cultural and social fields, including novelist Han. Han is not expected to attend the exhibition opening, according to the organizers. Noh said Han created a sculpture titled “Funeral,” which will be exhibited alongside her work. “The community not only saved people, it also killed many people. She will speak about that,” Noh said. She added that “Funeral” realizes in sculpture a scene from a dream that became a motif for Han’s novel “I Do Not Bid Farewell.” Two anthologies to be published in place of a catalog will include Han’s writing, including pages 1 and 2 of “I Do Not Bid Farewell.” The Korea Pavilion will also pursue cooperation with the Japan Pavilion, described as the first such collaboration between the only two Asian national pavilions in the Giardini. Hyundai Motor Co. is the exhibition’s official sponsor. Bulgari Korea, the Doosan Yonkang Foundation, Shinhan Bank and individual donors are also providing support. 2026-03-19 17:18:15
  • National Library to Open Interactive Media Art Exhibit on Modern Korean Poetry
    National Library to Open Interactive Media Art Exhibit on Modern Korean Poetry The National Library of Korea said Thursday it will open a new exhibition, “Artist’s Note,” on Friday at its “Path of Knowledge” gallery space in Seocho, Seoul, turning modern Korean poems that represent the four seasons into interactive media art. The exhibition features four well-known poems adapted into hands-on content: Kim Yeong-rang’s “Until the Peonies Bloom” for spring, Lee Yuk-sa’s “Green Grapes” for summer, Yun Dong-ju’s “Boy” for fall, and Jeong Ji-yong’s “Windowpane 1” for winter. As visitors touch walls and floors or move through the space, sensors trigger different effects for each work, including peonies blooming in vivid color and clusters of green grapes appearing on branches. “Green Grapes” is rendered in a digital ink-wash style, using dynamic lines and open space to form a single completed image. “Boy” uses calligraphy to highlight the visual beauty of Hangul and convey the poem’s lyrical emotion in a more three-dimensional way. The library said “Artist’s Note” was designed to help audiences accustomed to digital video engage more easily with modern and contemporary Korean literature. After experiencing the media art, visitors can read the original texts in print at a bookshelf set up in the “Path of Knowledge” area. The library will also display “BTS’s Bookshelf” from Friday through April 12, introducing Korean literature read by the global pop group BTS. A related event will run from March 20 to 31: an “SNS visit verification” promotion that will give small souvenirs to 100 participants. Admission is free. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-19 09:37:16
  • BTS Comeback Show Nears as Fans Pack Seoul’s Gwanghwamun for Photos and Video
    BTS Comeback Show Nears as Fans Pack Seoul’s Gwanghwamun for Photos and Video “I took photos and videos to send to friends and family.” Fans crowded the Sejong-daero area near Seoul’s Gwanghwamun on March 17, gathering for souvenir photos ahead of BTS’ comeback performance. As ad videos promoting “BTS Comeback Live: Arirang (ARIRANG)” played on major building screens, fans kept stopping to film and pose. Across from the KT Gwanghwamun building’s display, small groups lined the boulevard recording the footage. Yang, a 32-year-old Chinese national, said street performances are banned in China, making a large-scale show in central Seoul “surprising and impressive.” He said friends in China were curious, so he was sending photos. He added he plans to return on the day of the performance with six friends and send proof photos to family in China. On social media, overseas fans have also been posting “Gwanghwamun proof shots,” sharing photos taken around Sejong-daero, including the Kyobo Life Insurance building’s exterior signboard and the outdoor steps of the Sejong Center. Hwang, a Vietnamese national, said he filmed the ad video and shared it with acquaintances, adding that friends and family in Vietnam are highly interested in the show. From Sejong-daero to Cheonggyecheon-ro, BTS visuals cover building walls Building facades around Gwanghwamun have been filled with videos promoting the comeback performance, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. on March 21 (Korea time). Screens on major media buildings and at the Ilmin Museum of Art have been running the promotional clips on a loop. A building that houses the HiKR Ground Korea tourism promotion center has been showing purple-toned videos featuring ARMY fan messages, including: “Proud to be ARMY,” “We’ll always be behind you,” “Enjoy yourselves on stage,” “We’ll cheer for this comeback, too,” and “I’ve been waiting for this day. Fire!” The Kyobo Life Insurance building’s signboard has also become a popular stop for fans. Kyobo Life and Big Hit Music collaborated on a massive exterior wrap measuring 90 meters (295 feet) wide and 21 meters (69 feet) tall. It includes phrases such as “Until the story that began with me moves the whole world” and “Born in Korea, Play for the World.” Kyobo Life said the wrap is meant to convey hope that, like BTS writing its own story on the global stage, citizens will develop their potential through challenge and effort and move toward a bigger world. The design reflects the shapes of the four trigrams from the South Korean flag — geon, gon, gam and ri — and applies elements of BTS’ new album design to the typeface and colors. A Big Hit Music official said, “We hope the hopeful energy in this collaboration is also conveyed well to citizens.” Jongno-gu district officials have posted banners ahead of the performance to promote spectator safety. The banners include QR codes with traffic safety information and the message, “Welcome to Jongno, BTS and everyone.” Businesses in the area are also preparing for the influx. Some restaurants have hung welcome banners or planned group sing-along events featuring BTS songs. A Hollys store near Gwanghwamun said it will extend hours by two hours and stay open until 1 a.m., while Starbucks said it will flex staffing to keep operations running smoothly. Convenience stores said they are securing more than 100 times their usual stock of key items. Museums to close; officials urge “clean concert culture” On the day of the performance, museums around Gwanghwamun will close, and many buildings near the venue will be shut. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, the National Folk Museum of Korea and the National Palace Museum of Korea will temporarily close that day. Gyeongbokgung Palace will also close for the event, with its parking lot shut and access fully restricted. The Korea Heritage Service said it will place all staff on an emergency work system to prevent crowd accidents and damage to cultural heritage sites. Authorities have designated 31 buildings near the venue for intensive management. For six buildings adjacent to Gwanghwamun Square, the main entrances will be closed on the day of the performance, with only rear entrances open. The Sejong Center has also adjusted its schedule. No performances will be held, including the musical “Anna Karenina,” the play “Wasp,” and the dance program “Double Bill Bliss and Jackie.” At Sungnyemun, where a BTS media facade event is scheduled for March 20, organizers said they will manage capacity, separate pedestrian and viewer routes, and add safety staff to prevent crowding. After the event, structures will be removed and the site restored so normal viewing can resume the next day. In a previous news release, Korea Heritage Service Administrator Heo Min urged visitors to follow designated viewing areas to protect Gyeongbokgung’s palace platform and walls and to follow on-site staff guidance to prevent accidents. He also asked for cooperation in a “clean concert culture,” including taking home personal items after the performance. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-19 06:13:09
  • Korea’s Hwarang Art Fair to Open at Record Scale With 169 Galleries
    Korea’s Hwarang Art Fair to Open at Record Scale With 169 Galleries South Korea’s longest-running art fair, the Hwarang Art Fair, will return this spring at its largest scale yet, with 169 leading domestic galleries taking part. Lee Seong-hoon, chairman of the Korea Galleries Association, said at a news conference Tuesday at the Seoul Press Center that the fair will “spotlight 19 artists through expanded solo booths.” He added, “We have prepared docent programs and special exhibitions so visitors can appreciate the works more deeply.” The fair, now in its 44th year, is widely seen as a bellwether for the country’s art market and a major event that helps set the tone for the year. It will run April 8-12 at COEX in Seoul. Tickets have been on sale since March 9 through the fair’s official website. Major galleries including Gana Art, Kukje Gallery, Gallery Hyundai, Johyun Gallery, Hakgojae and PKM will participate, joined by newer galleries that opened after the 2010s, organizers said. Gallery Hyundai will show works by Dansaekhwa master Chung Sang-hwa, who died earlier this year, and by Lee Kang-so, regarded as a leading figure in experimental art. Samter Gallery will present works by Dansaekhwa masters Park Seo-bo and Yun Hyong-keun, along with pieces by young Chinese abstract painter Chen Lizhu. Kukje Gallery plans to show works by Zhang Peili, who held a solo exhibition at its Seoul space last year, as well as Korean Canadian artist Lotus Kang and emerging Korean artists including Park Jin-a, Kim Se-eun and Kim Young-na. Gallery Sklo will present works by Shin Sang-ho, described as a pioneer of contemporary ceramics, along with Lee Sang-min, Kim Nam-doo and Park Sung-hoon. Sun Gallery will show works by Woo Byung-yoon, and Keumsan Gallery will present works by Lee Yoon-jung. The association is also marking its 50th anniversary with added programming aimed at drawing more visitors. The “solo booth” section, launched last year and drawing strong interest, will feature 19 galleries focusing on a single artist each. Participating artists include Jung Hyun, Moon Hyung-tae, Gil Woo-jung, Woo Byung-chul, Huai Ying and Patrick Hughes. A separate special exhibition will look back at the Korea Galleries Association’s history and the evolution of the country’s art market. Organizers said it will display materials including the association’s magazine Hwarang Chunchu, early Hwarang Art Fair catalogs, press clippings on the art market and previously unreleased photographs. The exhibition will also feature interviews with seven former association chairmen, tracing the group’s growth, changes in the art market and key turning points. Meanwhile, the association will participate for a second straight year in Expo Chicago 2026, running April 9-12. Twelve major Korean galleries will present more than 250 works by artists representing contemporary Korean art. In Chicago, the second stop of the overseas traveling exhibition of the Lee Kun-hee Collection, titled “Korean National Treasures: Korean Art 2000 Years,” is currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago. Lee said of the second consecutive year of participation that he felt “Korean galleries raised the level of the Chicago art fair.” He said the association is exploring ways to expand into overseas markets including Singapore. “It’s true that going overseas comes with a heavy financial burden,” he said, adding that he expects government support to expand once the Art Promotion Act takes effect. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-17 15:06:55