Korea Initiative

The IFA has a distinguished history in Korean studies beginning with notable alumnus Won-Yong Kim (1922-1993), regarded as the father of modern Korean archaeology and museum studies. Kim was the first Korean to receive a PhD from the IFA, and went on to establish the Archaeology and Art History Department at Seoul National University,which remains a leading department of art history in Korea and East Asia today.

Did You Know?

The first exhibition of contemporary Korean art in the United States was curated by an IFA alum, Ellen Psaty Conant (MA '50) at the World House Galleries in New York City in 1958 (image courtesy of Kim Daljin Archives, Seoul).

IFA Korea Ambassador Yeon Shim Chung (PhD '05) and Director Joan Kee on the past, present, and future of Tansaekhwa in the Korea Joongang Daily

Fall 2025

The Korean Empire and the Practices of Everyday Life (ca. 1897-1910) examines the visual and material culture of Korea's imperial period through objects like clothing, furniture, and flags. Students collaborate with Met curators preparing the exhibition Fragile Empires: Cultural Exchange between Korea and France, c. 1860-1910.

Spring 2026

Revisiting Ink Painting in Premodern Korea (ca. 1400–1800) explores Korean ink painting through recent scholarship, investigating international dimensions, relationships to other media, and connections to class and gender through discussions, museum visits, and specialist meeting

Special Programming

Architectural Curating Workshop with Hyungmin Pai, Professor of Architecture, University of Seoul Curating Uncertainty: North Korea to Climate Change

November, 19, 2025 featured a special workshop and lecture on modern Korean architecture by Hyungmin Pai, a leading architectural historian and curator who curated the Golden Lion-winning South Korean pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

Summer 2026 IFA Alumni Ambassador Event in Seoul, South Korea, hosted by IFA Alumni Yeon Shim Chung and Jeongho Park.

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