SEOUL: The inaugural Korea Art Market Power 20 named the honorary director of Leeum Museum of Art, Hong Ra-hee, BTS' RM and artist Suh Do-ho among the list of 20 movers and shakers in the Korean art market Sunday (Oct 12).
The Power 20 was released as part of the Korea Art Market Report 2025 compiled by the Paradise Cultural Foundation and the Seoul National University Business School, and features artists, collectors, museum directors, gallerists, critics and cultural influencers.
The list was selected based on a survey of leading Korean galleries and refined through consultation with art market experts. While the list is not ranked, it offers a snapshot of the individuals making a clear and positive impact.
Among the business figures named is Hong, a prominent collector and member of the Samsung family.
“Hong Ra-hee has shaped Korea’s art landscape through her acquisitions of major Korean and international artworks,” the report states. As founding director of the Leeum Museum of Art, she built a formidable collection and, in 2025, returned as honorary director after an eight-year hiatus.
Suh Kyung-bae, the chairman of Amorepacific Group, is another key figure in the art scene. A three-time ARTnews Top 200 Collector, Suh founded the Amorepacific Museum of Art (APMA), home to a vast collection from antiquity to the avant-garde. In 2025, APMA hosted exhibitions of Steven Harrington, Elmgreen & Dragset and Mark Bradford.
BTS member RM is the only figure from the wider arts and entertainment field to be included.
“RM is also a passionate art collector and cultural influencer,” the report notes, citing his habit of visiting museums even during military service. He is preparing for a solo exhibition of his private collection at San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art in October 2026.
Two of Korea’s most internationally respected artists also made the list.
Lee Bae, known for powerful charcoal-based works and blending minimalist aesthetics with East Asian philosophy, is, the report notes, “Often referred to as the ‘second Lee Ufan,’ he is a dominant figure in Korea’s art market.”
In 2024, Lee presented "La Maison de la Lune Brelee" as an official Collateral Event of the Venice Biennale, solidifying his international stature.
Suh Do-ho, famed for his intricate fabric installations and drawings, explores ideas of memory, home and migration. His works have been exhibited in New York, London and Sydney, and in May 2025, he launched “Walk the House” at Tate Modern as part of the museum’s Genesis Exhibition series.
Museum professionals on the list include Kim In-hye (MMCA, Korea), Lee Sook-kyung (Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, UK) and Suh Jin-suk (Busan Museum of Art), highlighting the institutional leadership driving Korea’s art ecosystem forward.
Korean gallerists in Seoul and New York also made the list, reflecting the increasingly global nature of the Korean art market. The names include Do Hyung-teh (Gallery Hyundai), Park Kyung-mee (Founder and director of PKM Gallery), Youngjoo Lee (Senior Vice President and Director of Pace Gallery Seoul) and Tina Kim (Tina Kim Gallery in New York). - The Korea Herald/ANN
