Hwang Seon-woo Appointed as Korean Art Curator at U.S. Smithsonian Institution

Leading the Reinstallation of Korea's Permanent Exhibition Hall
Planning Loan Exhibitions of the 'Lee Geonhee Collection'

Mr. Hwang Seon-woo has been appointed as the inaugural Korean specialist fund curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) in the United States. According to the Korea Foundation on the 17th, he was selected through the museum's open recruitment and will be responsible for the Korean collection going forward. He will lead the reinstallation of the Korean permanent exhibition hall and plan the loan exhibition of the "Lee Kun-hee Collection" scheduled for 2025-2026.

Mr. Hwang earned a master's degree from the University of Chicago in the United States and completed doctoral coursework in Buddhist art at Dongguk University. He has a special connection with the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. In 2018, he was dispatched as a Global Challenger intern by the Korea Foundation and participated in Korean art exhibitions for five years.

The Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art expressed expectations, stating, "We believe he will play a leading role in growing Korean programs and collections through continuous leadership and in research and presentations in related fields."

The Korea Foundation supports a permanent operating fund for Korean art curators at prestigious overseas museums and art galleries. An official introduced, "This is highly significant in that it promotes the stable development of Korean art within the museum while also laying the groundwork for the spread of Korean art abroad."