The annual report ‘Korea Art Market 2025’ has spotlighted 20 figures shaping the Korean art market today, naming Hong Ra Hee, honorary director of Leeum Museum of Art, and RM of BTS among this year’s most influential.
Published on Oct. 12, 2025 KST by the Paradise Cultural Foundation and Seoul National University’s Institute of Management Research, the report says its aim is to identify “the 20 key individuals exerting the greatest influence on Korea’s art market right now,” noting that the list carries no internal ranking and was finalized “based on a survey of major domestic gallery professionals and subsequent consultation with field experts.”
For Hong Ra Hee, the report describes her as “a member of the Samsung family and a discerning collector,” crediting her acquisitions of major works at home and abroad with helping shape the market’s landscape. Among business leaders, Seo Kyung Bae, chairman of Amorepacific Group and founder of the Amorepacific Museum of Art (APMA), is cited for a collecting practice that extends into institution building.
From outside the visual-arts field, RM is the sole pop musician on the list. A well-known art enthusiast and collector, RM is slated to present a special exhibition of his private collection at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in October 2026 KST. The report characterizes RM as “an enthusiastic collector and cultural influencer” who frequently visits museums and contemporary art shows, sharing those experiences on social media and broadening public interest in art.
Artists highlighted this year include Lee Bae, Seo Do Ho, Yang Hye Gyu, and Kim A Young. The report calls Lee Bae “a powerhouse artist often referred to as a ‘second Lee U Hwan’ within the Korean market,” and notes that Seo Do Ho “explores dwelling, space, identity, and mobility through works employing fabric and paper.”
Museum leadership is represented by Kim In Hye (Head of Curation, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art), Lee Sook Kyung (Director, The Whitworth, University of Manchester), and Seo Jin Seok (Director, Busan Museum of Art). The gallery and fair ecosystem features Do Hyung Tae (CEO, Gallery Hyundai), Tina Kim (founder, Tina Kim Gallery, New York), Lee Sung Hoon (president, Korea Galleries Association), Son Emma (senior director, Lehmann Maupin), Lee Young Joo (senior executive vice president, Pace Gallery Seoul), Park Kyung Mi (founder, PKM Gallery), Noh Jae Myeong (CEO, Art ONO), Jung Yeon Sim (professor, Hongik University), Son Young Hee (founder, Art Busan), Patrick Lee (director, Frieze Seoul), and Kwon Min Ju (head of VIP, Asia, Frieze).
According to ‘Korea Art Market 2025’, this constellation of collectors, artists, museum leaders, and market makers collectively drives taste, capital flows, and audience growth—factors the compilers argue will determine the Korean art market’s trajectory in the year ahead.
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