National museum chief presents 'panoptic overview' of Korean art history in new book

You Hong-jun, director of the National Museum of Korea, speaks during a press conference marking the publication of his two new books, "Introduction of Korean Art" and "Story of Korean Art," in Seoul, Sept. 23. Yonhap

In the eyes of veteran art historian You Hong-jun, the critical study of Korea’s art history remains little-known to the wider world, despite holding a significant place within the broader currents of East Asian art alongside China and Japan.

This obscurity, he notes, stems from a historical wound. While the discipline of world art history began to take shape in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Korea was caught in the throes of imperial invasion and Japanese colonial rule, leaving it little room to cultivate sufficient scholarship of its own.

Now serving as director of the National Museum of Korea (NMK), You seeks to help bridge that gap in understanding through his two latest books: “Introduction of Korean Art” and “Story of Korean Art.”

Though both are written in Korean and cover similar ground, he views “Introduction of Korean Art” as a volume crafted specifically with international readers in mind.

“To help foreigners without prior knowledge of Korean culture easily grasp the country’s art history, an entirely different framework was necessary,” he writes in the author’s note.

Accordingly, “Introduction of Korean Art” departs from a strictly chronological account of Korean history. Instead, for readers less familiar with the nation’s historical arc, the book unfolds by genre, with each chapter devoted to prehistoric art, tomb art, crafts, Buddhist art, ceramics, painting, architecture and folk art.

The book makes frequent comparisons and contrasts with the art of China and Japan, illuminating both the shared cultural roots and the distinct sensibilities that define Korea’s artistic legacy. Through such dialogue, readers more accustomed to the cultural lineages of China and Japan are invited to approach Korean art with deeper understanding.

Why, then, did he choose to publish this book in Korean first?

“I wanted it to be of help to foreigners already living in Korea, those striving to acquire Korean citizenship and others who can read the [Korean] language,” You explained.

To make the work accessible to a wider readership, however, discussions are underway for translations into English, Chinese and Japanese.

You Hong-jun's "Introduction of Korean Art," left, and "Story of Korean Art" / Courtesy of Nulwa

The 571-page volume traces the arc of Korean art from the prehistoric era through the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) and Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

The opening chapter introduces relics that herald the birth of the country’s artistic legacy: prehistoric artifacts, mural paintings from Goguryeo tombs, resplendent gold ornaments from the Silla Kingdom, treasures unearthed from Baekje royal tombs and delicate masterworks of “najeonchilgi,” or mother-of-pearl lacquerware.

The following segment, devoted to Buddhist art, explores both sculpture and architecture — from pagodas and stupas to “sansa,” or mountain temples uniquely attuned to Korea’s rugged landscape. It also highlights the ethereal elegance of Buddhist paintings from the Goryeo and Joseon periods.

The chapter on ceramics spotlights the most globally recognized facet of Korean art: Goryeo celadon, “buncheong” stoneware and Joseon white porcelain.

And given the central place of Joseon-era painting in the nation’s artistic lineage, the book offers a particularly detailed examination of its diverse genres: portraiture, landscape painting, genre scenes, bird-and-flower painting and pieces depicting “sagunja,” or the “Four Gracious Plants.”

The volume concludes with a look at folk art, crafts and embroidery of the Joseon period — forms long overlooked in the grand narrative of Korean art, yet ones that reveal the quiet artistry of everyday life.

This year, global demand for Korean culture continues to surge. NMK has drawn record crowds, welcoming more than 4 million visitors between January and August alone, owing partially to the breakout success of Netflix's animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” and its fusion of Korean tradition and ultra-contemporary pop. Amid this cultural momentum, You feels it is his duty to respond to what he calls the “demands of the times.”

“Around the world, there is a growing curiosity about the cultural traditions that form the roots of the Korean Wave,” he said at a recent press conference marking the publication of his new works.

“These were books the times were asking for, and I felt it my responsibility to present a panoptic overview of Korean art history at this particular moment.”

You has long been a household name in Korea, widely known for his celebrated series, “My Exploration of Cultural Heritage,” which began in 1993. From 2004 to 2008, he served as head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, now known as the Korea Heritage Service.