"Korea has been a cultural shareholder nation with a rightful stake in East Asian cultural history."
Yu Hong-june, director of the National Museum of Korea, delivered this message in his keynote speech at the Seoul Economic Daily's "Pixel & Paint" event held at the Yeong Bin Gwan of The Shilla Seoul on the 28th. "We have never once fallen behind in technology or aesthetics throughout world cultural history," Yu said, adding that the source of today's K-culture craze lies in the oldest Korean spirit. He explained that beyond BTS, K-pop, and K-dramas, the rise of Korean culture as a global aesthetic standard is rooted in the originality and openness accumulated over thousands of years.
Speaking on the theme "The Power of Korean History and the Identity of Korean Culture," Yu traced the flow of Korean cultural history from prehistoric times to Joseon white porcelain. "Looking at the high-level craftsmanship of Baekje and the inlaid celadon technique of Goryeo, K-culture has long held a substantial cultural stake in East Asia," he said.
He first overturned the conventional perception of Korean history as that of a "small and weak nation." Citing the preface of an East Asian cultural history co-authored by Edwin Reischauer, the Harvard University Asianist, Yu said, "Korea looks relatively small because of China, but it is actually similar in size to an average European country," noting that "it is comparable to the combined area of England, Scotland, and Wales."
The Composure of Masters Revealed Even in Tomb Artifacts
Yu identified the Jeongok-ri site in Yeoncheon as the starting point of Korean culture. The hand axe discovered there in 1979 overturned the existing "Movius Line" hypothesis, which had held that such tools existed only in Europe and India, redrawing the map of world archaeology. He also assessed the Bangudae Petroglyphs in Ulju as a symbolic heritage that reveals the worldview, shamanism, and whaling culture of Neolithic-era Korean Peninsula inhabitants.
Entering the Three Kingdoms period, Goguryeo murals are regarded as masterpieces that go beyond simple funerary paintings to demonstrate the level of contemporary East Asian painting. Regarding the hunting scene of the Muyongchong Tomb in particular, Yu said, "Humor is the privilege of masters alone," explaining that "the culture during the reign of King Jangsu of Goguryeo was so relaxed that they even drew a young man who appeared to have no intention of hunting, as if suffering from a hangover."
The core of Baekje culture was craftsmanship. Yu cited the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje, excavated in Buyeo, as a work of formative beauty rarely seen anywhere in the world. The incense burner, which combines mountain landscapes, musicians, and a phoenix, embodies the spirit of Baekje artisans, he said. Citing the case of a craftsman's name engraved on the bracelet of the queen at the Tomb of King Muryeong, Yu emphasized that "Baekje was a country where artisans were respected."
He presented "geomi bullu hwai bulchi (儉而不陋 華而不侈)" as a phrase symbolizing Baekje aesthetics. The phrase means "frugal but not shabby, splendid but not extravagant." Yu explained that this is "the beauty of Joseon, the beauty of Korea, and beyond simple aesthetics, it is a phrase about an attitude toward life."
A K-Spirit Different From China, Japan, and India
Silla was introduced as an example showing the peak of internationalism and Buddhist culture. Citing the Persian bottle and Syrian-style ornaments discovered at Hwangnamdaechong Tomb, Yu said, "Silla's trade range was much wider than we thought." In particular, the Gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattva displayed in the "Room of Quiet Contemplation" at the National Museum of Korea was cited as a symbol of Korean sculptural history. "It has a subtle smile different from the Buddhist statues of China, Japan, and India," Yu said, adding that "it is a work that shows how far Korean sculpture had advanced around 600 BCE."
During the Unified Silla period, Seokguram, Bulguksa Temple, and the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok formed the pinnacle of Korean culture. Regarding the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok, Yu emphasized that society at the time respected artisans to the extent of engraving even the names of the technicians who participated in casting the bell. Mentioning the recent case in which BTS used the sound of the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok in their new song, he said, "K-culture ultimately emerges from this kind of tradition."
By the Goryeo era, Korean culture had blossomed into world-class ceramics and paintings. Yu declared of Goryeo celadon, "There is nothing among vessels made by humans that surpasses celadon ceramics." He particularly emphasized that inlaid celadon was "a technique unique to Goryeo that did not even exist in China." Regarding the Celadon Prunus Vase with Cloud and Crane Design, he assessed that "the balance of form and pattern, order and variation, is perfect."
Yu described the beauty of Joseon white porcelain as "the aesthetics of lines." Particularly regarding the Moon Jar, he assessed that "the warmth of human curves is alive rather than geometric perfection." Citing the words of Japanese folk craft movement leader Yanagi Muneyoshi, he said, "Chinese porcelain makes you want to admire it from afar, Japanese porcelain makes you want to keep it close and use it, but Joseon white porcelain makes you want to caress it."
"Today's K-culture was born on the foundation of historical accumulation, and Korea, which had been a cultural importer, is now advancing as a cultural exporter," Yu said.
Meanwhile, the opening address and congratulatory remarks at the event repeatedly emphasized the growth potential of K-culture and the importance of traditional culture. Son Dong-young, CEO of the Seoul Economic Daily, stressed, "'How far can the power of K extend, and what is its driving force?' is the question this year's Pixel & Paint poses." He added, "Within the most futuristic face of K, the oldest Korean spirit always lives on. Tradition is not a relic of the past but the most powerful asset for opening the future."
Kim Young-soo, First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, who attended the event, said in his congratulatory remarks, "Beyond K-pop, K-dramas, K-food, and K-beauty, Korean culture has now become a lifestyle culture woven into the daily lives of people around the world," adding that "K-culture is a core future growth industry of the Republic of Korea." Lee Beom-heon, chairman of the Arts Council Korea, also said, "It is now time for Korean culture and arts to play the role of becoming the standard that leads the world," adding, "We will lead a cultural powerhouse strategy and cultural initiative suited to the K-culture era."
