The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Former Hongik University professor Kim Sung-hee to head MMCA

By Park Yuna

Published : Sept. 14, 2023 - 18:06

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The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Seoul (MMCA) The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Seoul (MMCA)

Former Hongik University professor Kim Sung-hee will lead the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, the Culture Ministry said Thursday.

Kim would take office on Monday, the ministry told The Korea Herald. Kim, 65, was one of three final candidates for the position, according to a source.

Kim, former associate professor at the Department of Curatorial Studies and Art Management at Hongik University, co-founded CAN Foundation in 2008, a nonprofit art center in Seoul that supports Korean artists and facilitates their exhibitions abroad.

Kim Sung-hee (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) Kim Sung-hee (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)

Kim will leave CAN Foundation once she is officially appointed as the director, according to the foundation. Kim studied Korean painting at Ewha Womans University. She is the sister of Jeju-based painter Kim Bo-hie.

The national museum’s director post had been left vacant after Youn Bum-mo stepped down in April. Youn and his management of the MMCA came under scrutiny after the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration came into power in 2022. Youn, who was appointed to head the state museum in 2019, began his second term in 2022.

The director position carries a three-year term and allows for a consecutive term.