Kim Whanki (1913–1974), a pioneering figure in Korean abstract art, achieved another historic milestone as his monumental all-over dot painting 19-VI-71 #206 sold for USD 8.4 million (approx. KRW 12.31 billion) at Christie’s New York ‘20th Century Evening Sale’ on November 17.
 
Including the Buyer’s Premium, the total realized price reached USD 10,295,000 (approx. KRW 15.1 billion)—the second-highest auction price ever recorded in Korean modern art.

The painting carried a presale estimate of USD 7.5–10 million (approx. KRW 11–14.6 billion). While it did not surpass the all-time highest record set by Kim’s Universe 05-IV-71 #200, which sold for approximately KRW 13.2 billion (KRW 15.3 billion including fees) at a 2019 Hong Kong auction, the result nonetheless holds profound significance.
 
It marks the first time a Korean artwork has entered and achieved such a result within Christie’s New York ‘Main-Market’ Evening Sale.
 
 
 
A 1971 Masterwork from the Zenith of Kim’s Dot Painting Period

19-VI-71 #206 is a large-scale canvas measuring 254 × 203 cm, filled with radiating dots that evoke an expanding cosmic space. The emerald-toned band at the bottom deepens the chromatic layers and heightens the work’s mysterious, transcendent atmosphere.
 
Christie’s noted that among Kim Whanki’s early-1970s all-over dot paintings, works exceeding Size 200 (approx. 200号) are believed to number fewer than 30, underscoring their rarity and art-historical importance.

The year 1971 is particularly regarded as the peak of Kim’s artistic power, which heightened expectations around whether this work might challenge his previous auction record.
 
 
 
Korean Abstract Art Enters the New York Main Market

Beyond its impressive price, this result represents a decisive moment for Korean abstraction as it proves competitive in the New York Main Market, the global center of the art trade.
 
The inclusion of Kim Whanki’s work in the Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sale—alongside canonical twentieth-century masters—visibly elevates the international presence and recognition of Korean art.
 
The sale and successful hammer result of 19-VI-71 #206 serve as a meaningful indicator that Korean modern art is being re-evaluated at the core of the global market.
 
Although it did not surpass the existing record, the fact that a Korean artwork achieved over USD 10 million on the New York Evening Sale stage is expected to further intensify global interest in Korean abstraction and postwar artists.

References

• Christie's New York