The VIP Preview Day of Frieze Seoul 2025 is taking place on September 3rd at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul.
SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s largest art market events, Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul, opened Wednesday at the Coex convention center, drawing collectors, artists and cultural leaders from around the world and signaling the city’s rising prominence in the international art trade.
The joint fairs began with a VIP preview attended by Kim Hye-kyung, the First Lady, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, senior officials from the Ministry of Culture, and Simon Fox, the chief executive of Frieze. Visitors packed the halls, where more than 120 international galleries — up from about 110 last year — presented works at Frieze, while 175 galleries took part in Kiaf, down from 206 a year earlier.
On September 3rd, First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, wife of President Lee Jae-myung, viewed the artworks on display at Kiaf SEOUL, held at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul.
At Frieze, blue-chip dealers showcased marquee names to lure global buyers. Gagosian mounted a monumental Takashi Murakami installation, while David Zwirner featured Wolfgang Tillmans and Gladstone Gallery highlighted large-scale canvases by Ugo Rondinone. Leading Korean exhibitors also staked their claim: Kukje Gallery displayed Ha Chong-hyun’s celebrated “Conjunction” series, Hakgojae showed works by Kim Whanki, and Wooson Gallery presented abstract painter Choi Sang-chul.
Kiaf, organized by the Korea Galleries Association, leaned more heavily toward domestic collectors. Though foreign attendance appeared thinner than at Frieze, galleries reported steady interest and higher purchase rates, particularly from Korean buyers carefully inspecting works and checking prices. Some dealers noted growing attention from overseas museum curators, signaling wider recognition of Korean artists.
The fairs, running concurrently since 2022, have helped Seoul anchor itself as a key hub in Asia’s art market, competing with Hong Kong and Tokyo. “Seoul has firmly established itself as a central pillar of the global art market,” said Koo Ja-yeol, chairman of Kiaf’s organizing committee, at the opening. “The presence of so many collectors and art professionals here today reflects the trust and potential we have built.”
Despite a global art market downturn, the opening day buzz suggested resilience. “We worried about the slowdown, but foot traffic is high and sales are better than expected,” said a spokesperson for an international gallery. For many Korean art lovers, the appeal lies in both sides of the twin fairs: Frieze’s global reach and Kiaf’s expanding showcase of homegrown talent.
Image credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
