Ilmin Art Museum

Brief information

Ilmin occupies the former editorial office building of The Dong-a Ilbo newspaper, built in 1926. After reconstruction, the museum preserved the exterior appearance of the editorial building, so it is worth reading in two roles at once: as an art museum and as a repurposed newspaper space. Inside, the former editorial office became a five-story exhibition building with a total exhibition area of 650 m².

The museum grew out of the collection of journalist and editor Kim Sang-man, known by the pen name “Ilmin.” This explains the unusual juxtaposition of themes: Korean art, contemporary art, photographs and illustrations from newspapers and magazines, documentary films, and video art. What matters here is not only the collection, but also the way the museum function has been layered onto a house connected with print culture.

What to notice first

It is worth noticing the building’s shell itself: the exterior appearance of the former editorial office was preserved, although after reconstruction a five-floor museum appeared inside. This contrast helps one understand the place without a long history: the facade recalls its newspaper past, while the contemporary program now works with image, document, and video.

You can compare the distribution of the floors. The first and second floors are devoted mainly to temporary exhibitions, the third to the permanent exhibition of Korean art, and the fourth to the documentary video archive. This vertical structure shows how the museum brings together different media: porcelain, paintings and calligraphy, newspaper photographs and illustrations, documentary films, and video art. The strongest shift in perspective here is that the former newspaper building did not simply become a neutral showcase for art: its new specialization in images and video continues the theme of media through museum means.