Kim Gu’s Four-Character “Long Live Independence” Written in 1948 to Be Auctioned Ahead of Liberation Day

117 Works to Be Auctioned at Seoul Auction on August 25
Total Low Estimate Reaches 9.15 Billion Won

FIAC-Exhibited "Water Drops" to Debut in Korea

Kim Whanki’s Monumental Size 150 Painting Also Featured

Ahead of Liberation Day, "Long Live Independence (獨立萬歲)" written by Baekbeom Kim Gu (1876–1949) during Korea’s liberation era will be up for auction. "Water Drops," a size 100 work by Kim Changyeol that was exhibited at the Paris FIAC (Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain) in 1981, will be unveiled to the Korean public for the first time, while a large-scale size 150 piece by Kim Whanki from 1966, created as he transitioned to his new abstract period in New York, will also be seeking a new owner.

Kim Gu, "Long Live Independence (독립만세)", 1948, Ink on paper, 129.6×33.5 cm. This calligraphy was written on January 8, 1948, when the representatives of the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea began arriving in Seoul, with an inscription stating "January 8, 30th year of the Republic of Korea, International Commission's Arrival in Seoul." Seoul Auction

On August 13, Seoul Auction announced it will hold its 194th art auction at 4:00 p.m. on August 25 at the Gangnam Center in Seoul. The event will feature 117 lots, including 75 pieces of modern and contemporary art, 32 antiques, and 10 luxury items. The combined low-end estimate totals approximately 9.1466 billion won.

Among the pieces drawing attention this year, which marks the 81st anniversary of Liberation and the 150th anniversary of Kim Gu’s birth, is Kim Gu’s handwritten calligraphy "Long Live Independence." Written on January 8, 1948, it bears a seal on the left reading "Republic of Korea, January 8, Year 30, International Commission Arrival in Seoul." This was the day that representatives of the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea began entering Seoul to address the Korean Peninsula issue. The work is seen as a record of Kim Gu’s aspiration for true independence and national reunification at a time when the division of North and South Korea was becoming evident after liberation. The estimated price is between 20 million and 40 million won.

In the modern and contemporary section, Kim Changyeol’s "Water Drops" from 1981 will be shown to a domestic audience for the first time. The work, size 100 (162.5×129.9 cm), is estimated at between 600 million and 1.2 billion won. It was previously exhibited in October that year at the Stanislas Lepine booth of FIAC in the Grand Palais, Paris.

Unlike his earlier water drop series, which densely filled the canvas, this piece creates a rectangular central space with droplets of varying sizes placed inside and outside this area. This work demonstrates shifts in the early 1980s as Kim began moving beyond hyperrealistic depictions of individual droplets, experimenting with spatial composition and the structure of the painting itself. According to Seoul Auction, 8 out of 9 Kim Changyeol pieces displayed at the FIAC booth that year were sold.

Kwon Ki-won, '3-II-66', 1966, Oil on canvas, 220.5×170 cm. This large 150-piece work was created during the period when, after settling in New York, concrete shapes such as mountains and the moon were transformed into abstractions of dots and lines. Seoul Auction

Kim Whanki’s "3-II-66" is also up for auction. Measuring 220.5×170 cm and exceeding size 150, the estimate has not been disclosed. Kim created the work in 1966, three years after settling in New York in 1963. During this period, concrete shapes like the moon, jars, mountains, and birds transformed into dots and lines, leading to the artist’s signature full-dot style. That same year, Kim Whanki held a solo exhibition at the Tasca Gallery in New York.

In addition to well-known masterpieces, the auction also features works that trace the earlier phases of great artists’ careers. "Untitled," an early abstract piece painted in 1968 by Yun Hyongkeun, before he established his signature umber palette, will be offered with an estimate of 18 million to 40 million won. Painted after marrying Kim Whanki’s eldest daughter Kim Youngsook, the work is distinguished by its thick paint and blue tones.

Also up for auction is a four-panel folding screen titled "Untitled," painted in 1960 by Lee Ufan in his early twenties. This early ink painting on silk carries an estimate of 40 million to 80 million won. Created well before Lee gained international fame in the 1970s for his "From Point" and "From Line" series and Mono-ha movement, this work marks the starting point of his unique artistic vocabulary.

Gisan Kim Junggeun, "Pungsokdo," ink and color on silk, each 26.5×21.5 cm, 12 pieces. It depicts the livelihoods and daily life of late 19th-century Joseon people, including farming and weaving, Ssireum (wrestling) and swing riding, and taverns. The works are estimated to be from around the 1890s. Seoul Auction

In the antiques section, 12 genre paintings ("Pungsokdo") by Gisan Kim Jungkeun will be auctioned as a set. These works depict late 19th-century Korean daily life, ranging from agricultural labor and weaving to ssireum wrestling, swing riding, taverns, and families carrying bundles. Notably, the backgrounds are largely omitted, with meticulous attention to the gestures and tools of the figures. Seoul Auction estimates, based on the stable composition and coloring, that these were created around the 1890s. The anticipated price is between 120 million and 200 million won.

The auction items can be viewed free of charge at Seoul Auction’s Gangnam Center from August 14 until auction day on August 25. The preview is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.