From Business Tycoons to Top Stars: KIAF and Frieze Ignite Seoul’s "Art Night"

Choi Huieong and Oh Sehoon Attend Opening Ceremony;

Business Leaders Including Yang Jonghee and Yoon Youngdal Make Their Presence Felt

Jeong Yongjin, Jeong Yookyung, and Seo Kyungbae Attend Frieze Gala as Culture Marketing Heats Up

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KIAF Seoul, Korea's largest art fair, and the global art fair Frieze Seoul have turned into a "stage of stars" where major political, business, and celebrity figures gather in one place. At the VIP preview held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on September 2, various VIPs made their appearances, ranging from key government officials and leading figures in the art world to the heads of Korea's major conglomerates, as well as actors and singers. Throughout the day, visitors continued to flock to the exhibition halls, and the festivities carried on into the evening with the Frieze Gala Dinner, further establishing KIAF·Frieze as the signature cultural and social stage of Seoul Art Week.

On the 2nd, Choi Hui-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, are touring the exhibition at the opening ceremony of the "2026 KIAF Seoul·Frieze Seoul" held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

The joint opening ceremony was attended by Choi Hui-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, Kim Sunghui, Director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Jang Hanna, President of the Seoul Arts Center, among others. Simon Fox, CEO of Frieze, Patrick Lee, Frieze Seoul Director, and Lee Sunghoon, Chairman of the Galleries Association of Korea, were also present. The official commemorative photo session was joined by Yang Jonghee, Chairman of KB Financial Group, Lee Beomheon, Chairman of the Arts Council Korea, Kim Hyeonki, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, Lee Hyeongcheon, CEO of Shinsegae Property, and Jo Sanghyun, CEO of COEX.

Minister Choi stated, "Over the past four years, with KIAF and Frieze being held side by side, Seoul has become a city to watch on the international art scene," adding, "We are making a leap to become a center of the global art market, going beyond Asia." Mayor Oh announced, "With KIAF·Frieze and other cultural and arts events taking place throughout the city, Seoul is transforming itself into a citywide open-air museum." Before the opening ceremony, Mayor Oh met with CEO Simon Fox to discuss the issue of having Frieze Seoul at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) from 2027–2028 due to the remodeling of COEX, and also explored options for long-term cooperation between the city of Seoul and Frieze.

Shin Dongbin, Chairman of Lotte Group, is attending the opening of Frieze Seoul 2026 on the 2nd and appreciating the artworks. Photo by Han Yeju

The business sector was also highly visible at the event. Shin Dongbin, Chairman of Lotte Group, visited Frieze Seoul around 4 p.m. and toured the gallery booths with explanations from curators. Lotte Group explained that Chairman Shin attended the event due to his ongoing interest in art. Jung Yongjin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group, was also seen at the site, and Yun Youngdal, Chairman of Crown Haitai, who has consistently supported Korean sculpture, also visited the exhibition. Yang Jonghee, Chairman of KB Financial Group and lead partner of KIAF, attended the opening ceremony and then visited the KB special exhibition room.

It was notable that corporate participation in art fairs extended beyond simple attendance or sponsorship to a competition of cultural content produced by the companies themselves. Starting this year, Shinsegae Group will serve as the headline partner of Frieze Seoul through 2030 and set up a dedicated "Shinsegae Lounge" at COEX, showcasing a comprehensive collection of 336 works from the French artist Paul Cox's "Diary" series. KB Financial Group, participating as KIAF's lead partner for the third consecutive year, held a special exhibition titled "Accumulation of Stars" by artist Kim Taeksang and highlighted emerging artists.

Mixed group All Day Project's Anny (Moon Seoyoon) was seen visiting the Freeze Seoul Shinsegae lounge on the 2nd. Anny is the eldest daughter of Shinsegae Chairwoman Jung Yookyung. Photo by Yaeju Han

As night fell, business leaders made their way to the Frieze Gala Dinner, the event’s flagship social gathering. Jung Yongjin and Jung Yookyung, the Shinsegae Group siblings, attended the event together at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul. Jung Yookyung was accompanied by her husband, Moon Seonguk, CEO of Shinsegae Live Shopping. Seo Kyungbae, Chairman of Amorepacific Group, was also present at the gala dinner. This marked the first time in three years since the "Shinsegae x Frieze VIP Party" in 2023 that the Jung siblings appeared together at a Frieze-related event.

Not only figures from the business and art worlds, but also from the entertainment industry made appearances. Actors Bae Jong-ok, Chae Si-ra, Han So-hee, Park Eun-bin, Jung Il-woo, So Yoo-jin, Uhm Ji-won, and Oh Young-sil visited the exhibition, along with models Shiho Yano and Lee Hyunyi, and singer Insooni. The8 from idol group Seventeen and Anny and Bailey from mixed group All Day Project made appearances at the Frieze·KIAF venue as well. Anny is also the eldest daughter of Shinsegae Chairwoman Jung Yookyung.

Jung Koho, Creative Director of KIAF Seoul 2026, is posing at the entrance of the KIAF Seoul 2026 exhibition hall held at COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 2nd. Director Jung, the external creative director newly introduced this year, was in charge of branding, space design, and planning of special exhibitions. Photo by Brian Heeseong Kim

Figures from the art world were also seen engaging with visitors throughout the event. French contemporary artist Jean-Michel Othoniel and Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator at Hong Kong's M+, visited the fair. Jung Koho, this year's Creative Director in charge of space and special exhibition planning for KIAF, also toured the exhibition. Artist Lee Bae met visitors at the Johyun Gallery booth to introduce his work personally.

The VIP energy at KIAF·Frieze was reflected in visitor attendance and artwork sales. According to KIAF officials, by 6 p.m. on the opening day, visitor numbers had already reached a level similar to the final tally at 8 p.m. on last year's opening day, meaning this year achieved the same turnout two hours earlier. Art sales were brisk: Kidari Gallery sold all 11 pieces it exhibited on the first day, including a size 100 painting by Lim Ilmin. Meanwhile, Gana Art placed five pieces by Park Eunseon, and Gallery Graph sold four works by Lee Yeoreum to collectors. Lee Sunghoon, Chairman of the Galleries Association of Korea, commented, "We can definitely feel an uptick in visitor numbers compared to last year."

On the 2nd, visitors at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, attending 'Frieze Seoul 2026' are appreciating artworks. Now in its fifth year, Frieze Seoul features participation from 133 galleries across 30 countries and regions. Major global galleries such as Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner, Pace, White Cube, Lehmann Maupin, and Thaddaeus Ropac, as well as local galleries including Gallery Hyundai, International Gallery, Gana Art, Hakgojae, and Johyun Gallery have set up booths. September 2, 2026. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang.

Marking its 25th edition this year, KIAF Seoul featured 175 galleries from 18 countries, while Frieze Seoul, now in its fifth year, had 133 participating galleries from 30 countries and regions. Frieze Seoul will run until the 5th, and KIAF Seoul until the 6th, both at COEX. From the very first day, not only artists but prominent business leaders, celebrities, and art world figures gathered, showcasing how KIAF·Frieze has evolved beyond a marketplace for trade to become the premier cultural and business networking platform of Seoul Art Week.

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