K-wave AI News

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea.

Here's our top story.

A diverse array of masterpieces will be up for sale on the domestic art auction market this week.

Seoul Auction will present a rare, near-complete woodblock map of Korea created in 1861 by the renowned cartographer Kim Jeong-ho.

This unpublished work, part of the original 'Daedong Yeojido,' or the Great Map of Korea, holds immense historical value.

Other highlights include Paik Nam-June's 1974 robotic piece 'Hacker Newbie,' and iconic paintings by Kim Eun-ho and Lee In-seong.

Meanwhile, K Auction will feature Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 1905 'Still Life with Strawberries,' and a work by British abstract artist Frank Bowling, offered for the first time in a major domestic auction.

Writer Ye So-yeon has won the grand prize at the 48th Yi Sang Literary Award for her short story, "The Dog and the Revolution."

Established in 1977 to honor the literary legacy of writer-poet Yi Sang, the Yi Sang Literary Award is widely regarded as Korea's most prestigious prize for short and mid-length fiction.

The Dog and the Revolution follows the unique journey of Tae-su, a father from the 1980s student movement generation, and his daughter Su-min, a feminist of the 2020s, as they unite in an unexpected way.

The judging panel hailed the story as "a revolutionary work that transcends ideology" and "a truly groundbreaking narrative of inclusion."

Total ticket sales for Korea's performing arts market surpassed 1.4 trillion won, or roughly 970 million U.S. dollars last year.

According to the culture ministry's latest report, total sales reached 1.45 trillion won, up 14.5% from 2023.

The number of performances grew by 6%, exceeding 21,600.

Among the genres, pop music saw the most significant growth, with ticket sales increasing by over 31% year-on-year.

The report, however, found that the market remains heavily concentrated in the capital region.

Based on these findings, the ministry plans to continue efforts to promote regional performances.

That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.