Sono Art CEO Jin-soung Lee on 140th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Between Korea and the UK

This year marks the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and the United Kingdom. An art exhibition to commemorate this is being held in both Korea and the UK at the same time. The exhibition was titled “The Ties Through Time: 140 Tears of the Korea-UK Diplomacy and Culture Exchange.” It first opened on November 9, 2023 in London, England, and King Charles III made headlines by visiting the exhibition. Korea’s portion of the exhibition has also been on display since November 15, 2023. It will be open to visitors at the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture until November 30, 2023 (closed every Monday during the exhibition).

This exhibition covers the late period of the Korean Empire, where the relationship between Korea and the UK began, until 1903. At that time, the Korean Empire was in a period of upheaval, focusing on the process of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries and looking back on the establishment and meaning of the former British Consulate (currently the British Embassy). The exhibits explore diplomatic relations between the two countries, the delegation’s activities at the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne, articles written by several British people about Korea, and records of the process of establishing the British Embassy.

The exhibition was organized by KBCE (Korean British Culture Exchange), a charity established in the UK. Jin-soung Lee, CEO of Sono Art, was in charge of curating the Seoul exhibition. Auction Daily met with CEO Lee to learn about the Seoul exhibition, which was co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korea Britain Society, and sponsored by the British Embassy in Seoul and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Auction Daily: How did you prepare for this Seoul exhibition in such a short amount of time?

Jin-soung Lee: I was in charge of it all of a sudden, so I prepared frantically. Last September, KBCE made a proposal. It was a request to curate the British exhibition concept according to the Korean situation. It was actually a challenge for me. I only looked at books and other materials until October. I needed to know the history of a long time ago and understand the context and situation before and after. Fortunately, it was fun because it was not the usual type of exhibition. It was a short preparation period, but considering the long history and importance of bilateral exchanges, it was not in vain.

Auction Daily: Tell me the significance or purpose of the exhibition and the main contents of the exhibition.

Jin-soung Lee: Exhibitions were held in London and Seoul at the same time. It started about a week earlier in the UK, and King Charles III visited the exhibition in New Malden and left his name in the guest book. The guest book was also left for the Seoul exhibition, so you can see the king’s handwritten autograph at the Seoul exhibition hall. In addition, we received important data from Dr. Andrew Hillier, a descendant of Sir Walter Hillier, a British consul of diplomatic relations in 1883. Precious historical materials from 140 years ago became an important foundation for this exhibition. In particular, in 1884, the consulate was changed to a hanok, a traditional Korean-style house, under the direction of King Gojong, and at that time, design drawings, construction scenes, and commemorative photos are also on display. It is expected to be a valuable source of information for the study of modern history.

Auction Daily: What is the difference between the Seoul exhibition and the London exhibition?

Jin-soung Lee: The exhibition was limited to the early 20th century from the visit of the British fleet just before the signing of the “Treaty of Friendship and Commerce Between Great Britain and Core,” which was the official start of bilateral exchanges in 1883. The Seoul exhibition closely deals with the paintings left by the British who entered Joseon at the time, as well as the British Embassy in Korea, which has been in its current position since diplomatic relations. This embassy is one of the most important historical sites representing 19th-century British architecture. At that time, British ships entered Jemulpo (an alias of Incheon as a late period of the Korean Empire port), and old photographs of Jemulpo and paintings drawn by Britons in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were added to the Seoul exhibition. 

Some parts of the exhibitions in Seoul and London overlap, but the London exhibition focuses on the historical records of the Hillier family. The archive of the Hillier family is great, and I could see that they cherish these materials very much. The interview with Dr. Hillier is also included in a video, and a video of the Seoul exhibition includes something that cannot be seen in the UK.

Auction Daily: There must have been some difficulties while preparing for the exhibition; what struggles did you have? And what was the reward?

Jin-soung Lee: First of all, I was a Western art history major, not a history major, so it was difficult to grasp historical facts and omit them so as not to harm the historical context for the exhibition. The historical research was also faithfully completed. At first, the two countries were not in an equal position when they established diplomatic relations. While reading and interpreting the old Chinese character literature, it was found that diplomatic relations were absolutely advantageous to the UK. Gatekeeping while delivering historical facts was not easy. It is rewarding that studying through books and various historical sources stimulated me a lot. It was the first time I had studied history deeply in the late 19th century. It was fun because it was a unique exhibition that I did for the first time, unlike the art exhibitions that I have always done.