Korea Art Market Forum 2026 took place on September 30 at Art Korea Lab in Gwanghwamun, jointly organized by the Paradise Cultural Foundation and the Business Research Institute at Seoul National University. Marking five years of collaboration between Kiaf and Frieze, the forum addressed Korea’s gallery landscape, art fairs and cities, and young artists. Sang-Hoon Kim, a professor at Seoul National University Business School, delivered the opening remarks.

An archive is not a warehouse in which materials are simply accumulated. It is a structure that preserves and reconnects the relationships between them. Consider a single work of art. Its title and artist’s name are not enough to fully understand it. When was it made? What materials does it comprise?

The 16th Gwangju Biennale opened on September 5, 2026. Titled 《You Must Change Your Life》, the biennale presents its main exhibition and pavilion projects through November 15.

On July 1, the Ministry of Personnel Management opened a public recruitment process for a new director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA). The term of current director Kim Sung-hee expires this September. As the search began, the names of several potential candidates quickly started circulating within the Korean art world.

On July 26, 2026, the Art Services Business Registration System came into effect under the Art Promotion Act. Businesses operating in six categories—galleries, art auctions, art advisory services, art rental and sales, art appraisal, and art exhibitions—are now required to register with the relevant local authority.

Art spaces are more than venues for exhibiting works of art. They serve as vital intermediaries that discover new artists, generate critical discourse, and connect audiences, markets, and institutions. Changes in these spaces, therefore, are not simply matters of individual organizations adopting different modes of operation. They are important indicators of how the contemporary art ecosystem has evolved and the direction in which it is moving.

The third Korean art market boom, which took place from the late 1990s to 2007, was unlike anything that had come before it. It was a time of exponential expansion in all aspects of the Korean art market.

In this evolving environment, the Korean art market experienced its second golden era, transitioning from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. As the nation underwent a pronounced economic expansion and greater integration into the global sphere, the art scene also thrived.

The Korean art market has experienced significant peaks and troughs approximately every ten years since the 1970s. This article explores the first wave.

From 1990 to the present, the collections acquired by the MMCA have reflected the social trends of the times. By looking back at the history of the MMCA’s collections, we can see the identity of the museum and the history it hopes to write in the future.

An art museum’s collection reflects the values of its contemporary society. The collection of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) is a manifestation of the institution’s core values and their adaptation to the shifting tides of society.

Hyundai Motor Company has been supporting the works of numerous artists through different art institutions with the aim of providing a variety of experiences to a larger audience.