60th anniversary of the Normalization of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and South Korea: Realities in Korean Art

Japan and South Korea celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2025. To commemorate this year, the exhibition features 20 works of Korean art after the 1960s among our museum collections.

For the last 60 years, Korean society has undergone multiple and massive transformations, from harsh control by the military dictatorship, followed by the democratization movement and regime reform, to radical city developments, economic growth, and a growing consumption culture. Visual artists, among many individuals living under such turmoil, expressed their response to their times. On the one hand, they illustrated the surrounding environment while maintaining a critical stance, while on the other, they raised their voices and got directly involved in social movements. The wavering status of society is embedded in the distinctive artworks born out of such contexts. The exhibition will feature the works of each generation centering on specific topics that symbolically describe that time. It hopes to disclose the social realities the artists have faced as backgrounds for these pieces.

Nowadays, while in Japan, we are updated on the latest news and cultural content from Korea. Starting from the first “Hanryu boom” accelerated by K-dramas in the 2000s, K-pop music, Korean cinema, and Korean literature have attracted a huge number of people in Japan in the last twenty years.

However, it is also true that not many in Japan know what Korea has experienced since diplomatic relations were normalized between the two countries. The exhibition will trace back the turbulent history of Korean society as it offers visitors to comprehend people’s feelings and emotions, such as pain, anxiety, tension, or enthusiasm, embraced in each and different generation. As we welcome this anniversary year for Korea and Japan, we hope the exhibition will offer our visitors a chance to gain further understanding and interest in Korea.