An Jung-geun calligraphy, Chun Kyung-ja painting to hit auction for first time

A calligraphic work by independence activist An Jung-geun, designated a national treasure, and a painting by artist Chun Kyung-ja are heading to auction for the first time.

K Auction will hold its June sale on June 24 at its headquarters in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The auction features 107 lots valued at approximately 12 billion won (about $7.86 million) and, in keeping with the month dedicated to honoring national patriots, highlights works that reflect Korea's historical legacy.

The centerpiece is An Jung-geun's "Baekindang-jung-yutaehwa," a calligraphic work he wrote at Lushun Prison in 1910. Designated National Treasure No. 569-1, it marks the first time a nationally designated An Jung-geun calligraphic work has appeared at a domestic auction. A printed copy of his death sentence will be offered alongside it. The estimate is available upon inquiry, and bidding will open at 1.6 billion won.

Meaning "a household of a hundred acts of patience is filled with peace and harmony," the work was created at Lushun Prison in February 1910, the same month An received his death sentence. When 26 of his calligraphic works were collectively designated national treasures in 1972, this piece was listed first — a testament to his philosophical depth and resolute spirit.

Other highlights include a letter by Ryu Seong-ryong (estimated at 4 million to 10 million won), Kim Jeong-hui's "Ink Orchid with Inscription" (200 million to 350 million won), and Kim Gu's handwritten "Gyotaltaecheon-gong" (23 million to 50 million won).

Also seeking new owners are Yoo Young-kuk's 1974 work "Mountain" (500 million to 800 million won), Lee Ufan's "From Point" (1.6 billion to 3 billion won), Park Seo-bo's "Ecriture No. 1-82" (850 million to 1.75 billion won), Ha Chong-hyun's "Conjunction 20-28" (210 million to 375 million won), and Kim Whanki's "17-VIII-69 #104" (200 million to 500 million won).

Works by international artists — including Alex Katz, Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami, Hernan Bas and Kazuo Shiraga — round out the sale.

Seoul Auction's 193rd fine art sale, set for June 23 at its Gangnam Center, will offer 127 lots with a combined low estimate of approximately 11 billion won.

The sale's headline lot is Chun Kyung-ja's large-scale "Market" (1964), appearing at auction for the first time and expected to draw strong interest from art collectors. The work blends the artist's signature intensity, ink-painting sensibility and dreamlike palette, and carries an estimate of 800 million to 1.5 billion won.

Nam June Paik's "King Sejong," a homage to the Joseon monarch, enters the sale at a competitive starting estimate of 200 million to 400 million won relative to its size.

Among traditional works, Chae Yong-shin's "Portrait of Ganje Jeon Woo" (70 million to 150 million won) and two pieces of Kim Jeong-hui's draft poetry, "Sigo" (180 million to 350 million won), are on offer.

Works by leading figures of American contemporary art also feature prominently. Pop art icon Andy Warhol's "Flowers" (1970) — a complete set of 10 silkscreens — makes its domestic auction debut with an estimate of 1.9 billion to 2.5 billion won. A portrait of Denmark's Queen Margrethe II from Warhol's late print series "Reigning Queens" will also be presented.

Large-scale sculptures and original paintings by KAWS, the American pop artist whose work has generated a wide following since the 2000s, are also included.

Additional international offerings include Yayoi Kusama's "Infinity Nets (Nets-Infinity)" and pumpkin prints, large original works by Ayako Rokkaku and Robert Combas, and editions by David Hockney.

The sale also unveils collections assembled by two prominent figures: Kim Yong-won, the former chairman of Daewoo Group and a well-known art enthusiast, and the late Kim Yong-san, founder of the Kukdong Group and the Sojeon Foundation. From Kim Yong-won's holdings come four works — Byun Shi-ji's large canvases "Freedom, Peace, Love" and "Kohan," Hwang Yeom-su's "Mountain," and Lee Ufan's "Untitled." Seven Joseon-era ceramic pieces from the late Kim Yong-san's collection offer a glimpse into his connoisseurship.

Works by Mounassi and Olafur Eliasson, both popular with younger collectors, will also be on offer. A bottle of the legendary 1973 vintage Chateau Montelena Chardonnay will be presented as a special highlight for wine enthusiasts.