서울시립미술관 SEOUL MUSEUM OF ART

The names of the Nam June Paik Memorial House were changed to the PAIK GROUND.

The Photography Seoul Museum of Art, a branch of the Seoul Museum of Art, is Korea’s first public museum dedicated exclusively to photography. It explores photography’s artistic value and documentary power through creative and experimental exhibitions. The museum offers diverse programs that engage audiences of all ages and backgrounds. It also plays a key role in researching, collecting, and preserving Korean photographic art from historical works to contemporary practices. As an open cultural platform, it fosters connection and creativity within the photographic community.

SeMA Bunker was closed on January 13, 2025.

Following the termination of the Seoul Hyeoksin Park operation, SeMA Storage was closed on December 31, 2023.

The Seoul Museum of Art’s seventh director Eun-ju Choi was officially appointed on March 30, 2023 Director. Director Choi graduated from Seoul National University's Department of Western Studies and earned a master's degree in art theory and a doctorate in art education from Seoul National University. She served as the head of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the director of Deoksugung Palace Museum of Art of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the director of Gyeonggi-do Museum of Art Museum, and the director of Daegu Art Museum.

The Kwon Jin Kyu Commemorative Foundation and the late artist’s family donated 141 artworks by the champion of modern Korean sculpture Kwon Jin Kyu. The Kwon Jin Kyu Collection includes major sculptural works such as “Self-Portrait(Jasosang),” “Domo,” and “Knight(Gisa),” as well as paintings and drawings by the artist. The donation is meaningful in marking the initiation of proficient art preservation by the museum by managing and conducting research on a long-term basis while displaying artworks for visitors to appreciate.

The Seoul Museum of Art’s sixth director Jee-sook Beck was officially appointed on March 30, 2019. Director Beck graduated from Yonsei University, where she majored in sociology, and completed a Master’s course in aesthetics at Seoul National University. Previously, she served as the director of the Marronnier Museum (presently Arco Museum), art director of Atelier Hermes, art director of the 4th Anyang Public Art Project “Public Story,” and art director of the “Seoul Mediacity Biennale” by SeMA in 2016.

On October 19, 2017, the Seoul Museum of Art opened SeMA Bunker, which is housed in an original military bunker in Yeouido district, a symbol of the Korean military regime in modern history, after more than a year of remodeling construction. Designated as the city’s future asset, SeMA Bunker features an exhibition hall, covering about 495㎡ in area, a History Gallery covering about 65㎡ in area, and other operating facilities, including offices. SeMA Bunker, now a new culture and arts space in Yeouido, aims to plan and support professional and innovative exhibitions and programs reflecting the historicity and aesthetics of the space while establishing an ideal sustainable space for sharing. Together with SeMA Storage and SeMA Nanji Residency, SeMA Bunker will become one of the three triangular axes of the SeMA network in the role of production, the lifeline of art exhibitions.

On March 10, 2017, the Seoul Museum of Art opened the Nam June Paik Memorial House, introducing the life and art of the world-renowned artist Nam June Paik. The opening and permanent exhibition titled, “Tomorrow, the World Will Be Beautiful,” explores the relationships the artist had in his youth. The Memorial House will present itself as a dynamic memorial hall by fully engaging in diverse activities including mini-special exhibitions and workshops, and it seeks to restore the cultural richness of the area with the active participation of local residents, contributing to a sustainable urban regeneration.

The Seoul Museum of Art’s fifth Director Choi Hyo-jun was officially appointed on February 9, 2017. After studying economics at Seoul National University, Director Choi Hyo-jun received an MBA degree from Michigan State University, followed by a Master’s degree in art history at Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in fine art studies at Wonkwang University. He previously served as the director of the Gyeonggi Art Center of the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Deoksugung, director of the Jeonbuk Museum of Art, and head of the exhibition team at SeMA.

Following the Gyeonghuigung Palace Restoration Project, the Gyeongheegung Museum of Art was closed on October 31, 2016.

Located inside Seoul Hyeoksin Park, SeMA Storage, which is housed in five reagent warehouses once used by the Disease Control and Prevention Center, is utilized as a collection of art exhibition spaces showcasing experimental programs designed to support emerging artists and curators in the Korean art field.

Buk-Seoul Museum of Art aims to become a public art institution that walks hand in hand with the audience. Built in the city’s northeast, an area relatively lacking in cultural facilities, the Buk-Seoul Museum of Art aims to become a rich source of culture that provides visitors with meaningful opportunities to experience a museum at the heart of local communities where audiences can see, feel, experience, and appreciate culture and art.

The Seoul Museum of Art’s fourth Director Kim Hong-hee was officially appointed on January 12, 2012. Formerly a curator and art history scholar, Director Kim Hong-hee received a Master’s degree from Concordia University in Canada followed by a Ph.D. in art history from Hongik University. Before joining SeMA, she served as the director of the Gyeonggi Art Center, director of Ssamzie Space, and director of the Gwangju Biennale in 2006. Since 2000, she has lectured at Hongik University and has presented her research in academic seminars and conferences in Korea and abroad, contributing to the development and globalization of Korean modern art.

The names of the Gyeonghuigung Branch Museum and Nam-Seoul Branch Museum were changed to the Gyeongheegung Museum of Art and Nam-Seoul Museum of Art, respectively.

The Seoul Museum of Art was designated as a Responsible Administrative Agency by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which allows for self-autonomy in terms of administration and finance; in return, the museum takes full responsibility for performance-based results.

· Source: Act on the Establishment and Operation of Responsible Administrative Agencies by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (Ordinance No. 4711 dated November 13, 2008) 

· Projects by Responsible Administrative Agency Authorized (February 13, 2019, March 3, 2010)

Since its opening in June 2006, the SeMA Nanji Residency, which has supported creative studios for promising artists through the conversion of the defunct leachate treatment center in Nanjido into artist residency studios, has remodeled additional unused facilities nearby to newly open 11 studios, a multi-purpose exhibition gallery, and work areas, in addition to the existing 17 artist studios. On Thursday, June 19, 2008, the SeMA Nanji Residency was reborn as a fully equipped culture and arts complex.

The Presidential Advisory Committee for the Advancement of Construction Technology and Architecture (headed by Chairperson Kim Jin-ae) visited the Seoul Museum of Art on June 13, 2007 and presented the “Architectural Environment Culture of the Month” plaque. This plaque is awarded monthly to one selected architectural work that bears importance, and SeMA was selected in February 2007 in recognition of its position at the forefront of preservation and utilization of modern cultural heritage.

The Seoul Museum of Art’s third director Ryu Hee-Young was officially appointed on January 12, 2007. Director Ryu Hee-Young is an established artist representing the genre of abstract color-field painting. He graduated from Seoul National University, where he majored in painting. He debuted in his 20s through the prestigious National Art Exhibition, and in 1974, while in his early 30s, he received the Exhibition’s Presidential Award. Later, he became a judge and showed his works as an invited artist at the National Art Exhibition. He also served as a professor in the Art Department and dean of the College of Art and Design at Ewha Womans University. He is presently a professor emeritus at Ewha Womans University and head of the Art Department at the National Academy of Art of Korea.

Kwon Young-woo, who earned the nickname of “Paper Artist” in Korea, is a well-established abstract artist who advanced new possibilities for Korean paintings. His 70 works, an important part of Korean art history, were donated to the Seoul Museum of Art. Following the donations by Chun Kyung-ja and Park No-soo, the donation of artworks by Kwon Young-woo has amplified the public prominence of the SeMA Collection, and it will contribute to even greater creativity in the Korean art field.

Situated between Haneul Park and Noeul Park in Sangam-dong in northwestern Seoul, SeMA Nanji Residency is housed in a defunct leachate treatment center that was renovated into artist studios. Covering 1,152㎡ in total area over two stories, the space comprises 17 individual artist studios, exhibition halls, and other convenient facilities.

The present-day Seoul Museum of Art located at 37 Seosomun-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul was originally built in 1928 as Gyeongseong Courthouse in a classical architectural style. After the country was liberated from the Japanese colonial rule, the building was used as the Supreme Court until 2002, when the Seoul Museum of Art moved into the space. The Seoul city government recognized the significance of the building’s arched porch, which symbolizes the country’s first Supreme Court, and the Cultural Heritage Administration designated it as a Registered Cultural Asset on March 2, 2006.

An important collection of artworks by the acclaimed Korean painter Park No-soo representing the genre of Korean ink painting is now a permanent part of SeMA with the donation of 52 artworks to SeMA. The decision was made by the painter, who personally wished to reveal his solitary life as a painter and his world of art to the public. These paintings represent the artist’s unique world and viewpoints from the 1960s through the 2000s. This is one of the biggest donations artworks to the museum by a Korean master, and it has greatly enriched the SeMA Collection.

Following the Gyeonghuigung Museum, which is part of SeMA, another branch museum located in Namhyeon-dong in the southern Gwanak district of Seoul has joined SeMA. The new museum is housed in the stunning former Belgian Consulate building, which will become an open space for artists seeking experiments, which is essential for nurturing art and culture in the area.

The commemorative hall marking the 600^th anniversary of Seoul as the capital was newly remodeled as an art space. The newly opened Gyeonghuigung Museum is a cultural complex comprising two exhibition halls and other convenient facilities. It is open to Korea’s young artists and members of the youth generation who are pursuing experimentation and creativity.

The Seoul Museum of Art’s second director Ha Chong-Hyun was officially appointed on January 1, 2003. The established painter served as the chairman of the Korean Fine Arts Association and dean of the College of Fine Arts at Hongik University. His abstract painting series, such as “Conjunction,” are known for their expression of material properties. Director Ha Chong-hyun was appointed through SeMA’s first public recruitment for non-tenured directorship.

The Seoul Museum of Art has relocated to the site where the Supreme Court once stood. Except for the original facade, the entire building was reconstructed to house the new metropolitan museum, covering 13,433.8㎡ in total area. The newly built museum, comprising three floors above two basement floors, will play a pivotal role in establishing the culture street in the Jeong-dong area of central Seoul.

With the restorative reconstruction fully underway, the Seoul Museum of Art marked the completion of its framework by holding a ceremony attended by the Mayor of Seoul and dignitaries in the culture and arts arena. The reconstruction project to build a new metropolitan museum, comprising three floors above the first basement floor covering 13,433.8㎡ in total area, kicked off in December 1998.

A large collection of “Minjung Art” (“People’s Art”) from GanaArt was donated to the Seoul Museum of Art. The GanaArt Collection comprises over 200 artworks, including the artwork “Large Picture Story from 1980,” which was jointly painted by more than 20 artists, as well as featured artworks of the “People’s Art”, the art movement unique in the Korean art history. Reflecting the artistic trend toward realism during the 1980s and the social atmosphere of Korea at the time, this collection has enjoyed renewed attention.

The first Seoul Museum of Art Director, Yoo Jun-sang, was officially appointed on June 1, 1999. Since its opening on August 9, 1988, the Seoul Museum of Art had maintained a system of operating without a director. Director Yoo Jun-sang, the former art director in charge of exhibitions at the Seoul Arts Center, has been an active art administrator and art critic. His appointment was recommended by the Advisory Committee of Artistic Directors.

The acclaimed Korean artist Chun Kyung-ja donated her 93 representative artworks and painting materials to the Seoul Museum of Art. The painter even transferred ownership of the copyrights to the city of Seoul. In gratitude, the Mayor of Seoul Goh Kun awarded the artist Chun Kyung-ja with an official plaque of appreciation.

The temporary commemorative hall to present the exhibition “Seoul, the New Birth” marking the 600th anniversary of the city of Seoul in 1994 was remodeled and opened as the exhibition space of the Seoul Museum of Art.

The Seoul Museum of Art opened in the former Gyeonghuigung Palace site, comprising six exhibition halls and an outdoor sculpture park, covering 990㎡ in total area. The site has long been known for its historic value and significance, as the new museum now stands where the prestigious Seoul High School previously stood from 1946 to 1980. Further back in Korean history, the site was also where Gyeonghuigung Palace, a major royal palace of the Korean Kingdom, once stood, but after the fall of the Korean Empire, the Japanese colonial government demolished the palace and replaced it with Gyeongseong Middle School with the purpose of disseminating Japanese education in Korea. After Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonialism, the school reopened as Seoul High School. Today, the site commemorates the grand opening of the Seoul Museum of Art.