You Hong-jun, a Myongji University art historian and author, has been appointed director of the National Museum of Korea and its 13 provincial affiliates. This appointment is part of a broader reshuffle following South Korea's snap presidential election in June, which brought Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party to power. Other key appointments include Youn Bummo as president of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, and Amal Khalaf and Evelyn Simons as co-curators of the 2026 Busan Biennale, marking the first female duo to curate that event.
These appointments reflect the longstanding practice of government-backed Korean art institutions changing leadership after national power shifts, highlighting the intersection of politics and cultural administration. You Hong-jun's background as a bestselling author and former Cultural Heritage Administration commissioner, along with Youn Bummo's expertise in Minjung Misul (People's Art) and his role at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, signal a potential return to more progressive cultural policies under the new administration.