Seoul Art Week 2026: Korean collectors on their passion, artists to watch, shows to catch
As Seoul Art Week kicks off, we talk to a variety of collectors on their journey and suggestions on who and what to see over the coming days
South Korea is the epicentre of the Asian art calendar this week, with Frieze Seoul and the Korea International Art Fair converging alongside the opening of the Busan and Gwangju biennales.
Yet behind the art-week frenzy – with some 300 galleries courting buyers at the two art fairs – questions remain about the depth and prospects of the Korean art market.
The Korea Art Authentication and Appraisal Institute’s midyear report notes that local auction sales nearly doubled to 111 billion won (US$81 million) in the first half of 2026, but warns that the surge is top-heavy, driven by blue‑chip names such as Yoshitomo Nara, whose Nothing About It fetched a record 15 billion won in March.
Are Korean collectors fixated on big, international names, or is a more diverse base emerging? As Seoul Art Week 2026 kicks off, we speak to several collectors – an educator, a designer, a collecting couple and an office worker with 200-plus works – on what fuels their passion, the artists they are watching and the shows they consider unmissable this season.