Seoul's commercial gallery landscape has evolved considerably since the arrival of Frieze Seoul in 2022, which accelerated the consolidation of the city as a serious node in the international art market alongside Hong Kong and Singapore. What distinguishes Seoul from many peer cities is the depth of its domestic collector base, the institutional weight of foundations such as SONGEUN and Leeum, and a gallery infrastructure that ranges from historically-rooted Korean institutions to outposts of major international operators. For visiting professionals, the scene rewards careful navigation rather than a single-focus itinerary.
The calendar year 2026 is particularly active, with the Gwangju and Busan biennales both opening in September alongside the fifth edition of Frieze Seoul, and the anticipated arrival of Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul adding a significant new institutional presence to the city. What follows is a gallery-by-gallery account of the principal private spaces operating in Seoul, with notes on their programmes, current market offerings and scheduled exhibitions.
Kukje Gallery
Founded in 1982, Kukje is Seoul's most established gallery with a genuinely international roster. Its three interconnected exhibition spaces — K1, K2 and K3 — are situated at 54 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, at the heart of the historic Sogyeok neighbourhood. The gallery has long maintained a dual mandate: bringing internationally significant artists to Korean audiences while promoting Korean artists abroad. Its programme has encompassed exhibitions of Anish Kapoor, Bill Viola, Candida Höfer, and Haegue Yang, among others. Haegue Yang, one of the gallery's most internationally active artists, is currently the subject of a solo exhibition Star-Crossed Rendezvous at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, running from 24 February to 2 August 2026.
In Seoul, Kukje ran two concurrent exhibitions through mid-February 2026: a solo presentation by Australian artist Daniel Boyd titled Finnegans Wake, and Gore Deco by Jang Pa — both open from 9 December 2025 to 15 February 2026. The gallery was also showing an exhibition centred on the photobook Vision 1980 by photographer Koo, running through 8 March 2026, which presented rarely seen archival material from the artist's return to Korea in 1980 alongside handmade portfolios and printed ephemera. The gallery has an outpost in Busan and participates regularly in Art Basel in Basel and Hong Kong, KIAF, and Frieze Seoul. Kukje Gallery also represents the estate interests of Kim Yun-shin, whose first major museum retrospective opened at Hoam Museum of Art in March 2026, running through June.
PKM Gallery
PKM Gallery was established in 2001 by Park Kyung-mee, an art historian who had served as commissioner of the Korean Pavilion at the 49th Venice Biennale. The gallery moved to its current four-floor space in Samcheong-dong in 2015, near Kukje Gallery and Arario. Its programme focuses on both established Korean postwar masters and international contemporary figures. On the Korean side, the gallery has played a significant role in raising the international profile of Yun Hyong-keun, the pivotal Dansaekhwa painter, as well as Chung Chang-Sup, Kwon Jin Kyu, Suh Seung-Won, and sculptors Koo Hyunmo and Koo Jeong A. With the recent addition of the estate of Yoo Youngkuk, a pioneering figure in Korean abstract art, the gallery now manages a notably broad range of postwar masters. International artists represented include Olafur Eliasson, Jorge Pardo, Katie Paterson, Toby Ziegler, and Hernan Bas.
Works currently available for sale include Koo Hyunmo's 모과나무 (2026), a quince tree sculpture measuring 38 x 34 x 46 cm, and multiple ceramic and lacquer works by the same artist. The gallery participates in Art Basel in Basel and Hong Kong, Frieze Seoul, KIAF, and Expo Chicago. A secondary project space, Bartleby Bickle & Meursault, operates in parallel.
Gallery Hyundai
Gallery Hyundai holds the distinction of being the oldest commercial gallery in Korea, founded in 1970 by Park Myung-ja under the name Hyundai Hwarang in Insadong, before relocating to Samcheong-ro. Its history intersects directly with some of the most significant moments in Korean art: Nam June Paik performed a shamanic ritual in the gallery's courtyard in 1990 in memory of Joseph Beuys, and the gallery was instrumental in establishing the reputations of Kim Whanki, Park Soo-Keun, Lee Jung-Seop, and Chung Sang-Hwa. Today, under CEO Do Hyung-teh, the gallery continues to work with a roster that spans the Dansaekhwa generation and younger Korean contemporaries such as Moon Kyungwon, Jeon Joonho, and Minjung Kim.
Gallery Hyundai is currently celebrating its 55th anniversary with an expanded programme. In 2026, the gallery is sharing the spotlight on Rhee Seund-ja alongside White Cube — Rhee being regarded as Korea's only female first-generation abstractionist, whose solo show at the Venice Biennale 2024 brought renewed international attention to her work. In September 2026, the gallery will present work by Christine Sun Kim, the Deaf artist whose practice examines how sound and meaning travel across different systems of communication. The gallery participates regularly in Frieze Seoul, Frieze London, Frieze New York, and Art Basel Miami Beach.
https://www.galleryhyundai.com
Arario Gallery
Arario was founded in 1989 by collector Kim Chang-il and has grown into one of the most ambitious Korean gallery operations, with spaces in Seoul, Cheonan, and Shanghai. Its Seoul branch in Samcheong-dong, which opened in 2014, is positioned between MMCA and Kukje Gallery, and a second Seoul location operates within the Ryse Hotel. The gallery has built a strong reputation for introducing Indian and Southeast Asian artists to the Korean market, alongside a committed programme of Korean artists from the 1970s onwards.
Among works publicly listed as available, the gallery holds several photographic works by Park Young-sook, including A Flower Shakes Her #14 (2005), a C-print at 120 x 120 cm, Scene 41 (1966), a gelatin silver print at 40 x 50 cm, and Imprisoned Body, Wandering Spirit #3 (2002), also a C-print at 120 x 120 cm. Arario's most anticipated 2026 programme development is a large-scale survey of Park Young-sook, opening in February at the Seoul gallery, centred on her "Mad Women Project" photographic work from the 1960s, which used the female body to challenge patriarchal social structures. The gallery also showed Surging Waves by LEE Eunsil from 17 December 2025 to 31 January 2026. The gallery is a regular presence at Frieze New York and Art Basel Hong Kong.
White Cube Seoul
White Cube opened its Seoul space in the Gangnam-gu district's Dosan Park area, occupying more than 300 square metres including exhibition galleries, a private viewing room, and offices. The space is housed in a ceramic-tiled building that also contains the Horim Art Centre, a private museum specialising in Korean traditional and modern art. The gallery is led by Korean Representative and Director Jini Yang, who joined in 2018, and the proximity to SONGEUN Art and Cultural Foundation reinforces the gallery's positioning within the Gangnam cultural cluster.
White Cube's current Seoul programme includes a joint exhibition of Etel Adnan and Seundja Rhee, running 21 January to 7 March 2026 — a pairing that brings together one of Lebanon's most celebrated writer-painters with one of Korea's pioneering abstractionists. This exhibition sits within a broader institutional and commercial reassessment of Rhee's legacy, which White Cube is pursuing in conjunction with Gallery Hyundai.
https://www.whitecube.com/locations/white-cube-seoul
Pace Gallery Seoul
Pace opened its Seoul space in the Yongsan-gu district, clustering with other international galleries that established Korean presences around the time of Frieze Seoul's launch. The gallery brings its internationally structured approach to the Seoul market, representing artists with large institutional footprints. Its most recent Seoul exhibition of note was a joint presentation featuring Adolph Gottlieb and Kim Whanki under the title The Language of Abstraction, The Universe of Emotion, which ran from 31 October 2025 to 10 January 2026 — an exhibition that drew a direct line between American Abstract Expressionism and the Korean colour-field tradition.
https://www.pacegallery.com/galleries/seoul
Lehmann Maupin Seoul
Lehmann Maupin arrived in Seoul as part of the wave of international gallery openings in Yongsan-gu. The gallery has been active at Frieze Seoul and represents several artists with strong Korean institutional ties, including Anna Park, who has been shown at Frieze Seoul and KIAF. The gallery co-represents Kim Yun-shin with Kukje Gallery, and the artist's profile rose considerably following her participation in the Venice Biennale 2024. Lehmann Maupin's Seoul presence reflects the gallery's broader strategy of building primary market relationships in Asia through a physical base rather than fair-only participation.
Perrotin Seoul
French gallerist Emmanuel Perrotin opened a Seoul space as part of his global expansion, positioning the gallery within the Samcheong neighbourhood not far from the Korean blue-chip gallery cluster. The Paris-founded gallery brings its broad international programme to Seoul, with a roster that includes KAWS, Takashi Murakami, Sophie Calle, and Jean-Michel Othoniel among its better-known names. Perrotin is a consistent presence at Frieze Seoul.
P21
P21 was established in 2017 by Soo Choi in the Itaewon district of Yongsan-gu. The gallery's stated mission is to expand the international reach of Korean artists, introduce international artists to Korean audiences, and engage artists of the Korean diaspora. Works currently available include Sofia Mitsola's Cosmic Dancers (2025), an oil on linen at 60 x 90 cm, and a pencil-on-wood work by Shin Min. P21 operates in Seoul alongside a partnership with Galerie Eva Presenhuber and participates regularly in international art fairs including Art Basel Miami Beach.
Gallery Baton
Gallery Baton operates in Yongsan-gu and is among the Korean-owned galleries in the district that have developed a profile working with Korean artists alongside curated international programmes. The gallery participates in Frieze Seoul and KIAF, and maintains a programme oriented towards mid-career Korean and international contemporary artists.
Barakat Contemporary
Barakat Contemporary opened in Seoul in 2016 and occupies a space at 58-4 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu. It is an outpost of the Barakat Gallery group, which has long-established roots in historical and antiquities dealing, but its Seoul contemporary space operates a distinct programme. The gallery has presented the work of artists including El Anatsui, Shezad Dawood, and Michael Rakowitz — figures associated with postcolonial and politically engaged research-based practice. A solo exhibition by Nikita Gale titled 99 DREAMS ran at the gallery from 5 November 2025 to 4 January 2026.
https://www.barakatcontemporary.com
The Page Gallery
The Page Gallery occupies a position slightly distinct from the commercial blue-chip circuit, pursuing a programme focused on rigorous conceptual and international artists. The gallery presented All Possible Worlds by Scottish artist Nathan Coley from 20 November 2025 to 28 February 2026, a solo exhibition by one of Britain's more consistently engaged public-art practitioners. The Page Gallery is an Ocula-recognised space and maintains a selective but considered programme.
Tang Contemporary Art Seoul
Tang Contemporary Art operates in Seoul as part of its wider Asian network, which includes spaces in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Bangkok. The gallery focuses on Chinese and Asian contemporary art, and brings significant Chinese artists to Korean audiences. Its most recent Seoul exhibition, Corporeal Musings, grouped works by Shi Yanliang and Sun Yu, running from 20 December 2025 to 24 January 2026.
https://www.tangcontemporary.com
Whitestone Gallery Seoul
Whitestone, a Tokyo-founded gallery with an expansive Asian presence, maintains a Seoul space as part of its network. The gallery presented a three-person exhibition, Where Winter Meets Our Glow, featuring Oh Hyuckjin, Kim Jak'young, and Sunny Kim from 13 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. Whitestone operates across multiple Asian cities and represents a mix of established Japanese and Asian contemporary artists alongside emerging voices.
https://www.whitestone-gallery.com
Gladstone Gallery Seoul
Gladstone Gallery opened a Seoul outpost at Samseong-ro as part of the New York gallery's international expansion. Its Seoul programme ran a group exhibition titled Irreverent Forms from 20 November 2023 through to 3 January 2026 — an unusually long run that reflects the gallery's interest in building deep contextual presence in the market rather than cycling through rapid shows. Gladstone globally represents artists including Rosemarie Trockel, Anicka Yi, and Matthew Barney.
https://www.gladstonegallery.com
Gallery Chosun (gallerychosun)
Gallery Chosun was founded in 2004 as an offshoot of one of Korea's oldest galleries. Since 2015, the gallery has been building an archive focused on documenting and preserving artists' processes — a relatively unusual institutional commitment within the commercial sector. Its recent exhibition included The Longest Grave Coiling Around the Mountain by Jeong Kyeongbin, showing in December 2025.
SONGEUN Art and Cultural Foundation
While technically a foundation rather than a commercial gallery, SONGEUN functions as a crucial adjacency to the commercial scene in Gangnam. Located near White Cube Seoul, the institution runs its annual art award and presents significant exhibitions throughout the year. The 25th SONGEUN Art Award Exhibition ran from 12 December 2025 to 14 February 2026, and a major anniversary exhibition — SongEun x Unboxing Project: SongEun Art Award 25th Anniversary Exhibition — is scheduled for 2026, looking back at 25 years of the foundation's support for emerging Korean artists.
Baik Art
Baik Art is a Seoul-based gallery working with both Korean and international artists with a focus on emerging and mid-career practitioners. Its most recent notable exhibition was And Life Goes On featuring work by Han Youngsoo, running from 10 December 2025 to 31 January 2026.
BB&M
BB&M is a Seoul gallery that participated in a group exhibition titled Liquid Modernity, running from 22 November 2025 to 10 January 2026.
A Note on the Market Context
South Korea's art market grew markedly following the arrival of Frieze Seoul in 2022, with collectors and institutional buyers from across the Asia-Pacific region increasingly treating the city as a primary destination. The concentration of galleries in three main clusters — Samcheong-dong and Jongno-gu in the north, Yongsan-gu (particularly Itaewon and Hannam-dong) in the centre, and Gangnam-gu in the south — makes the scene relatively navigable, though each district has its own character and collector base.
The Dansaekhwa movement continues to command serious secondary and primary market attention, and galleries including PKM, Gallery Hyundai, and Kukje all maintain or have recently added estates or primary relationships with figures from this generation. Meanwhile, galleries such as Arario, P21, and Barakat Contemporary are working to diversify the range of artistic practices seen by Korean collectors, bringing Southeast Asian, South Asian, and internationally based diaspora artists into dialogue with the local scene.
The September concentration of Frieze Seoul, KIAF, the Gwangju Biennale, and the Busan Biennale represents a significant convergence of market and critical activity, and professionals visiting Seoul are best advised to plan around this window while using the quieter winter and spring months to engage with gallery programmes that benefit from more sustained attention.
Information current as of February 2026. Exhibition dates and availability should be confirmed directly with each gallery prior to visiting.