Complete Series of 'Lectures on Korean Art History' by Yu Hongjun: "My Persistence as an Art Historian Achieved Success"

Complete 6-Volume Series After 13 Years
Comprehensive History Categorized by 'Era' Rather Than 'Genre'
Condense 6 Volumes into 1 Volume

"By chance, 'My Cultural Heritage Exploration' has gained attention and I am being recognized as an author, but what I really wanted to do was this ('Yu Hong-jun's Korean Art History Lecture'). Only one or two people per century write a comprehensive history as art historians, and I have stubbornly studied art history and have now achieved this."

The first volume of 'Yu Hong-jun's Korean Art History Lecture' was published in 2010, and it has been completed in six volumes over 13 years. Starting with Volume 1, 'Prehistoric, Three Kingdoms, Balhae,' it continued through 'Unified Silla, Goryeo' and concluded with Volume 6, 'Joseon.' The massive work spans a total of 2,500 pages and contains 2,650 illustrations. It is a very rare case for a single author to write a comprehensive history covering the entirety of Korean art.

Professor Yoo Hong-jun, Chair Professor at Myongji University, is holding a press conference on the afternoon of the 17th at Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the completion of "Yoo Hong-jun's Korean Art History Lecture."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

At a publication meeting held on the 17th at a cafe in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Yu Hong-jun, Chair Professor at Myongji University, said with an embarrassed smile, "I intended to write an art story that could be comfortably read lying on a sofa, but a thick book of 2,500 pages came out."

He continued, "I will later condense the six volumes into a single volume. Then my work will be done. I hope the juniors will work hard on the rest," adding, "I hope a comprehensive history that surpasses me will emerge."

He also emphasized the importance of dividing by 'era' to the younger generation. He said, "In the West, art history is divided by eras such as 'Renaissance,' 'Baroque,' and 'Modernism,' but domestically it is divided by genres like 'ceramics history,' 'painting history,' and 'sculpture history.' This is why Western art history is interesting but Korean art history is said to be boring," and added, "If we divide by era instead of genre, like 'Goryeo era art history' or 'Unified Silla art history,' interesting content will come out."

Additionally, he pointed out excessive royalty demands by institutions holding artifacts and artworks as an obstacle to art history research. He said, "They demand about 300,000 won per photo. It makes publishing books difficult," and criticized, "There are especially a few places that are outrageously oppressive."

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