K-culture, including K-art and K-craft, is drawing global attention, but now is the time to deepen its substance, experts said. To evolve beyond a passing trend into sustainable competitiveness, Korea must accumulate "Korean" details, they argued.
Cho Hye-young, Korea commissioner for the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize, said at the "Pixel & Paint" panel discussion of the special forum "Seoul Forum 2026" held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 28th, "There are times when I worry about the popularity of K-culture." She added, "Popularity cannot last forever, and at some point we will face a turning point."
She continued, "Now, when popularity is at its peak, is precisely the time to reinforce depth and detail along with archiving" — referring to the systematic collection, organization, and preservation of records. Her remarks suggest that while Korean craft and aesthetics — built on Koreans' distinctive manual skills and a long-accumulated culture of refined craftsmanship — are gaining attention in the global market, preparations are needed to develop these into long-term competitiveness.
Park Joo-won, CEO of Simone Fashion Company, also said, "We must not lose our composure by getting drunk on the K-wave." She added, "Only when we ourselves become more conscious of and protect our culture and assets can we leap to the next stage." She also said, "Now, when K-culture is receiving global attention, is the right timing."
Another view held that the essential power of K-art should be found not in Korean materials or forms but in "the power of universal stories." World-renowned artist Yee Sookyung introduced her signature works including "Translated Vase," "There," and "Moonlight Crown" in an artist talk at "Pixel & Paint" with Cho Sang-in, art correspondent at The Seoul Economic Daily, emphasizing that universal stories can resonate not only with Koreans but also with overseas audiences.
In particular, Yee said that when she first conceived "Translated Vase," she had an Italian potter listen to a poem by Korean poet Kim Sang-ok and create a white porcelain piece based on imagination, then broke the pieces and connected the fragments with gold. She said "Moonlight Crown" was inspired by stories including a research paper on the "Lion and Peacock Stone" in the collection of the Gyeongju National Museum by Kim Hong-nam, former director of the National Museum of Korea.
"Fragmented traces of the past, ancient records, legends, and orally transmitted stories are seeds of infinite possibility for me," Yee said. "I have great interest in various myths passed down orally from ancient times." She added, "The way for artists to survive in the AI era is to become storytellers."
