On October 22, ARTnews announced its list of the world’s Top 200 Collectors for this year. Alongside previously recognized collectors such as Suh Kyung-Bae, Chairman of Amorepacific Corporation, and Kim Woong-ki, Chairman of Global Sae-A Group, Lee Seo-hyun, President of Samsung C&T Corporation, was newly included this year.
 
Since 1990, ARTnews has annually recognized individuals who have exerted social and cultural influence through art collecting. The publication evaluates collectors comprehensively, considering factors such as market influence, purchasing power, institutional donations, and exhibition sponsorships, and compiles the global Top 200 Collectors list accordingly.
 
Notable Korean collectors who have been included in past lists include Ci Kim, Chairman of Arario; Phillip Chun, Chairman of Paradise Group; Choi Yoon-jung, Chairman of Paradise Cultural Foundation; the late Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of Samsung Group; and Hong Ra-hee, Honorary Director of the Leeum Museum of Art.

In its 36th edition, the list this year newly included Korean collector Lee Seo-hyun, who has been actively involved in exhibition planning and operations at the Leeum Museum of Art since 2018. Continuing the legacy of her late father, Lee Kun-hee, she has faithfully carried out her role as one of Korea’s leading collectors.
 
On November 9, ARTnews explained its decision to include Lee Seo-hyun in the 2025 Top 200 Collectors, stating, “Following the passing of former Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee in 2020, his daughter Lee Seo-hyun has taken up the mantle of Korea’s representative collector.”
 
The publication further noted, “During his lifetime, Lee Kun-hee, Korea’s wealthiest individual, amassed a collection of over 20,000 works and artifacts, encompassing Korean traditional and modern art as well as major international works by artists such as Francis Bacon, Marc Chagall, and Alberto Giacometti.”

Meanwhile, Chairman Suh Kyung-Bae, who has consistently appeared on the list since 2022, was described as leading “AmorePacific, a company that represents Korea in cosmetics, but according to him, is not a company that sells cosmetics—it is a company that spreads culture.”
 
Alongside him, Kim Woong-ki, also included since 2022, has drawn attention for owning Kim Whanki’s iconic work Universe 5-IV-71 #200 (1971). The work had been purchased at a 2019 sale at Christie’s Hong Kong for a staggering $10 million (or 13.2 billion won), making it the most expensive work by a Korean artist to ever sell at auction.
 
Kim also owns major works of Korean modern and contemporary art, as well as pieces by Yayoi Kusama. Additionally, under his leadership, the Global Sae-A Group opened the S2A exhibition space in Gangnam in July 2022, aiming to introduce both domestic and international contemporary art and serve as a bridge connecting young, promising artists with the art world.
 
Furthermore, Korean-American Miyoung Lee, Vice President of the Whitney Museum of Board of Trustees, was also named to this year’s list. More details can be found on the ARTnews website: https://www.artnews.com/art-collectors/top-200-profiles/?filter_top200year=2025

References

• ARTnews, Top 200 Collectors
• 매일경제, 이서현·서경배·김웅기…韓 대표 컬렉터 선정, 2025.11.10
• 월간미술, 인스타그램 (Monthly Art Instagram)