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       Seoul Takes ‘Center Stage’ in the Art World

       The South Korean capital recently has seen an explosion of galleries and sales, and hosted the newest iteration of Frieze.

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       The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul has helped the city become a major player in the splashy business of global art. Credit...Jun Michael Park for The New York Times

       By David Belcher

       Reporting from Seoul

       Dec. 5, 2023

       In early September, Seoul crackled with energy. The sophomore installment of Frieze Seoul had just opened, and the presence of the K-pop stars RM of the band BTS and Jisoo of Blackpink had caused a stir.

       Across town, more than a hundred artists and fans watched a multimedia presentation of dance, music, film and theater at one of the city’s marquee museums, part of a blockbuster retrospective exhibition of the works of the 87-year-old Korean avant-garde artist Kim Kulim.

       Together, it seemed to sum up this city’s emergence in the global spotlight.

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       A recent Emilio Vedova exhibition at the Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul gallery in Yongsan-gu. Credit...Jun Michael Park for The New York Times

       Over the past 70 years, South Korea has traveled lows and highs as an art movement forged in the ashes of the Korean War has taken off and Korean movies, TV shows, K-pop, fashion and beauty have seized attention the world over. Moving from political upheaval in the decades after the war to economic prosperity, South Korea has become a major player in the splashy business of global art. And Seoul, by many people’s estimations, is poised to be the next major arts hub in Asia — much the way South Florida became a locus for art in the Americas after the arrival of Art Basel Miami Beach, which is running this week.

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       A correction was made on Dec. 6, 2023

       : An earlier version of a picture caption with this article misidentified the artist whose works appeared in a recent exhibition at the Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul gallery in Yongsan-gu. The artist is Emilio Vedova, not Georg Baselitz.

       When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com.Learn more

       A version of this article appears in print on Dec. 6, 2023, Section F, Page 6 of the New York edition with the headline: The Spectacular Rise of Seoul . Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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