The KORUS House of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Washington D.C. will be hosting ArtLink ¡¯08, a contemporary art exhibition to enhance cultural exchange between Korea and the U.S. The exhibition will be held at the KORUS House from Tuesday, June 24 to Wednesday, July 16, and will feature paintings and sculptures from three prominent contemporary Korean artists: Lee Kyoung-jae, Hong Jung-hee, and Kim Keun-joong.

This exhibition is part of the ongoing KORUS Cultural Gala, which was initiated in February of the year with the objective to promote Korean cultural art in American mainstream culture.


Featured artist Hong Jung-hee graduated from Seoul National University, and was the winner of the 7th Seokju Art Award in 1996. She also participated in the 2007 Asia Contemporary Art Exhibition in New York, and has exhibited her artworks in various cities worldwide, including Seoul, New York, and London. Many of her works are featured in the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Korea, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and the British Museum.

Kim Keun-joong, who is also featured in ArtLink ¡¯08, is a professor at the College of Fine Arts at Kyungwon University. He was the winner of the 3rd Total Art Prize in 1993, and the Dongah Art Prize in 1990. He has showed his artwork in many well-known exhibitions, such as the 2008 Gulf Artfair (CaisGallery) and the 2007 Oriental Metaphor (LOOF, Seoul). Additionally, he has held his own exhibitions in many galleries such as the KenJi Taki Gallery and the Tongin Gallery.


Lee Kyung-jae, the final featured artist, is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara, Italy. She has had solo exhibitions at the International Artfair at Geneva, as well as in Seoul.

The KORUS House will hold an opening reception to celebrate the ArtLink ¡¯08 exhibition on Tuesday, June 24th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. There is no restriction in the admission, which is free. Many experts on the Korean Peninsula, art professionals, and representatives from various embassies are expected to attend the reception.


For more information regarding the exhibition or the opening reception, please contact Mr. Hosan Kim (English and Korean) at khs@koreaembassy.org or at 202 587-6162, or our reception desk at 202 939-5688.

As a part of the ongoing KORUS Cultural Gala, the KORUS House has held many events in 2008, such as the solo recital by vocalist Lee Kwang-kyu in February, a Korean Archery Seminar by master craftsman Kwon Moo-seok in March, and the solo recital by violinist Yuri Cho in May.