‘Busan Expo’ Bid, Korean Masters Join Effort … Artists Lee Ufan, Kim Whanki, Lee Ungno Create ‘Artwork Souvenirs’

Busan City Promotes 2030 Busan World Expo with K-ART 3 Types Following K-Pop

Synergy Expected in Promoting Korean Culture by Artists Loved by BTS RM

A mug featuring Dialogue, a representative work by artist Lee Ufan. [Image source=Lee Ufan Museum]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Busan City is launching a campaign to attract the 2030 Busan World Expo by utilizing works of world-renowned Korean artists. Works by the globally acclaimed painter Lee Ufan and the late painters Kim Whanki and Lee Ungno are also featured on souvenirs, bringing them closer to people around the world.

On the 31st, Busan City announced that it has produced three types of souvenirs engraved with works by masters such as Lee Ufan, Kim Whanki, and Lee Ungno.

Busan City collaborated with the Lee Ufan Museum, Whanki Museum, and Lee Ungno Museum to embed their wishes for the successful hosting of the 2030 World Expo in Busan into the souvenirs.

The first souvenir is a mug and handkerchief set featuring “Dialogue,” a representative work by the world-renowned painter Lee Ufan. It is known that Lee Ufan personally checked the packaging box for the souvenirs and actively participated in the collaboration to enhance the product’s completeness.

An umbrella featuring a drawing of the 'Moon Jar' by Suhwa (樹話) artist Kim Whanki. [Image source=Whanki Museum]

The second souvenir is an umbrella featuring a drawing of the “Moon Jar” by Kim Whanki, a leading painter representing 20th-century Korean art.

As a first-generation Korean abstract artist who established a unique artistic world based on Korean lyricalism, his work elevates the prestige of the 2030 Busan World Expo souvenirs.

The third souvenir is a fan based on “Group of Figures,” a representative work by Goam Lee Ungno.

As a master of modern Korean art who created modern abstract paintings based on the traditional brushwork of Eastern painting, Lee Ungno’s work completes a souvenir that elegantly expresses Korean beauty.

Busan City plans to globally promote the 2030 Busan World Expo through souvenirs imbued with the essence of Korean art.

Since these three artists have been active overseas and their works are held in prestigious international museums such as the Pompidou Center in France and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, this is expected to greatly support the event’s promotional efforts.

A fan made based on 'Gunsang,' a representative work by Goam (顧菴) Lee Ungno.
[Image source=Lee Ungno Museum]

RM, leader of the group BTS, who was appointed as the third promotional ambassador for the 2030 Busan World Expo in July, has a strong interest in art and leads global fans’ attention to the art world by introducing artworks on his SNS accounts.

In June 2019, during a Busan concert, RM visited the Lee Ufan space within the Busan Museum of Art, admired the works, and left a guestbook entry, which became a hot topic.

He has also regularly posted works by Kim Whanki and Lee Ungno on his SNS accounts, connecting Korean masters with fans.

Korean culture, represented by K-POP and K-ART, is expected to serve as a catalyst for attracting the 2030 Busan World Expo.

Busan City plans to continue producing souvenirs in collaboration with various artists to spread the enthusiasm for hosting the Expo worldwide.

Jo Yoo-jang, head of Busan City’s 2030 Expo Promotion Headquarters, said, “These souvenirs will showcase Korea’s high-level artistry to the world. The global popularity of BTS, our promotional ambassadors, combined with the artistic excellence of Korea’s representative masters, is expected to widely promote the 2030 Busan World Expo and strongly drive Busan’s bid.”

Copyrights and usage permissions from the artists were secured through active cooperation from each museum. Also, considering regulations related to the Anti-Graft Act, the production cost per souvenir was set below 50,000 KRW.

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