Christie's New York will auction Kim Whan-Ki's 1971 painting *19-VI-71 #206* (estimate $7.5–10 million) on 17 November 2025 as part of its prestigious 20th Century Evening Sale. This marks the first time a Korean artwork has been included in this marquee sale, placing the piece alongside works by Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Joan Mitchell, and David Hockney. The painting, from the artist's New York period, is one of only 30 large-scale 'dot paintings' exceeding 200 cm and was created in the same year as his record-setting *05-IV-71 #200 (Universe)*, which sold at Christie's Hong Kong in 2019 for over HK$100 million.
The inclusion of Kim Whan-Ki's work in Christie's flagship evening sale signals the growing global recognition and market demand for Korean modern art. It underscores the artist's enduring legacy—having left a secure professorship in Korea to pursue his career in New York—and positions his work alongside the most celebrated 20th-century masters. The auction is expected to draw significant interest from collectors across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, potentially setting a new benchmark for Korean art at auction.