Official Inquiry Letter to the Korea Gallery Association Scheduled to Be Sent
The Korea Gallery Association announced on the 5th that it will send an official inquiry letter next week to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) regarding suspicions of forged works by artists Park Soo-keun and Lee Jung-seop. The day before, they held an appraisal operations committee meeting and decided to ask for evidence confirming the authenticity and the background of the exhibition. The inquiry will also include the fact that forgery suspicions have been raised.
Since February 25, LACMA has been holding an exhibition titled "Korean Treasures from the Chester and Cameron Chang Collection." It introduces traditional Korean paintings and mid-20th century oil paintings donated by a Korean American. Among these, four pieces, including Park Soo-keun's "Waikiki" and Lee Jung-seop's "Boy Riding an Ox," are under suspicion of being forgeries.
The Gallery Association has rarely sent official inquiry letters regarding forgeries to overseas museums. This is because artworks classified as general movable cultural properties after 50 years of creation are restricted from being exported abroad. However, recently, the government has amended laws to allow artworks created after 1946 to be sent overseas, exhibited, or sold without restrictions.
The Gallery Association decided to send the inquiry letter anticipating the possibility of similar controversies continuing in the future. An official explained, "We decided to send it considering the situation where works created after 1946 can be taken overseas."
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