Market dispatch·Seoul
Frieze Seoul and Kiaf point to a Korean market led by domestic artists
Reporting by Rémy Jarry (11 September 2026): at the fifth Frieze Seoul and 25th Kiaf, Kukje Gallery sold a 1971 Yoo Youngkuk painting for KRW 2.2–2.5 billion — a record for Korean art at Frieze Seoul — while Dansaekhwa names and international blue chips also performed strongly.
Korean artists gained ground across all price segments: Gallery Hyundai placed five Kim Tschang-yeul works ($180,000–$1.1 million), Almine Rech sold a Lee Ufan for $1.25–1.5 million, and Johyun moved six Lee Bae bronzes. International highlights included a $1.2 million Rashid Johnson placed by Hauser & Wirth with a Korean institution and a €1.1 million Adrian Ghenie at Ropac. Visitor numbers held steady at 70,000 for Frieze Seoul and over 80,000 for Kiaf, with Seoul's market underpinned by record museum attendance and a semiconductor-led economy.
