Greetings,

Thanks to your generous support, we are delighted to hold the 25th Busan International Art Fair, presented together with the Eurasia Peace Rally. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you.

Our K-Art International Exchange Association has organized a wide range of international exchange projects supporting artists. We have held seven biennales, three art fairs, and numerous special exhibitions in cities and regions including Mumbai, Chennai, Dubai, Brunei, Beijing, Ningbo, Hebei, Hanoi, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Saga, and Kitakyushu. With this year’s event, we have presented the Busan International Art Fair 25 times. In total, we have organized 28 international art fairs and seven India International Biennales, building a remarkable legacy in the history of Korean art.

Beginning with this fair, we are taking on a new challenge together with the Eurasia Peace Rally, guided by a vision of opening up the vast Eurasian continent. The rally will set out from Yurari Square at Jagalchi in Busan, at the eastern edge of Eurasia, and travel by car in the cause of peace to Cabo da Roca in Portugal, at the continent’s western end. Along the way, we hope to present works by Korean artists in public squares and exhibition venues in the major cities reached by the rally.

In keeping with this vision, this year’s fair will introduce works by artists from the North, whose art represents a gateway to the Eurasian continent. The works we have acquired by People’s Artists, Merited Artists, and artists affiliated with the Mansudae Art Studio are monumental in scale and are being introduced in Korea for the first time. They include views of Mount Baekdu and Heaven Lake as seen from the northern side, rather than from Changbai Mountain, as well as a depiction of our tiger rendered with every strand of its fur vividly defined. These are original works that have not previously been encountered internationally. In this way, we begin our artistic journey across Eurasia with works from the North.

Alongside these works, approximately 3,000 pieces by around 250 artists are being presented, including invited Korean artists, selected artists, emerging artists invited to participate, and artists invited by InKo Centre in India.

Having grown beyond Korea to become a leading art fair representing Asia, the Busan International Art Fair seeks to create a beautiful and peaceful world in which we see reflections of one another through works of art and elevate our lives through artistic expression. We aspire to take a leading position in the Eurasian art market and open up new horizons for art and culture.

To achieve this, we will expand the direct-sale art market across Eurasia, creating opportunities for artists to continue their creative work and earn meaningful income. By presenting a rich and diverse range of art, we aim to move beyond passing trends and establish art as a form of expression that speaks to our contemporary times.

We have also expanded the exhibition space for invited artists compared with previous years. Through open calls, we have selected established artists who express the present while preserving the traditions and distinctiveness of Korean aesthetics, as well as promising emerging artists with strong individual voices. We are providing approximately 80 booths free of charge for invited and emerging invited artists, creating an exhibition that looks toward the future while drawing on the past and present of Korean art.

This year, as a special feature, we have acquired works by People’s Artists, Merited Artists, and artists from the Mansudae Art Studio and placed them in the special exhibition, “Mount Baekdu Seen from the North.” This offers the public and art professionals an opportunity to see original works by well-known artists from the North—works that many have long been curious about. New works by Indian artists carefully selected and invited by InKo Centre in India are also on display in the India Special Exhibition.

Finally, following last year’s presentation, we have further expanded the display of outstanding works by students from Korea, India, and Japan, selected through the 2026 International Youth and International Children’s Art Competitions and practical art contests.

Through works that express each artist’s individual perspective, we hope to immerse visitors in a sea of wonder and inspire them to celebrate the artists’ free-ranging imaginations. We ask for your continued interest and support for the 25th Busan International Art Fair, presented together with the Eurasia Peace Rally.

Thank you.

Dear distinguished guests and visitors,

Greetings!

I am Cheon-sik Jeong, Organizing Chair of the 25th Busan International Art Fair 2026 and CEO of Blue Indus Co., Ltd.

I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation and admiration to all the distinguished guests and visitors who have joined us despite your busy schedules, and who show such a deep interest in the cultural development of Busan, Gyeongsangnam-do, and our country.

I am delighted that the 25th Busan International Art Fair, organized by the K-ART International Exchange Association, which has worked for more than 30 years to advance international culture and the arts beyond Korea, is once again welcoming many artists from Korea and abroad for what promises to be a wonderful event.

The world is at a turning point as it enters the age of artificial intelligence (AI). This era is accelerating the pace of knowledge and discovery beyond anything humanity has experienced before, while dramatically shortening the time needed to develop future-critical industries such as energy, defense, semiconductors, space, healthcare, and advanced materials.

I believe that Korea is helping lead the world not only through new digital industries spearheaded by AI, but also as a cultural leader whose cultural achievements continue to shape the way forward.

Even in an age led by AI, works of art call for distinctive individuality born of creative practices that deeply embody the wisdom and emotions intrinsic to human beings. Artists, too, are being called upon to summon extraordinary creative passion so that their sensibilities and artistic practices can rise above the turbulence of the AI era.

The many works presented at sophisticated, contemporary large-scale exhibitions such as the Busan International Art Fair are like precious gems. They offer powerful responses to the AI era and express the refined sense of self that each artist discovers through personal reflection and contemplation.

Bringing these gems together in one place, sharing the exhibited works with audiences, learning from visitors, and continually developing a direct art market through ongoing exhibitions must require a special conviction and commitment.

The Busan International Art Fair has also sought to go beyond being a marketplace for buying and selling paintings. It has worked to help Korean artists enter the international art market, attracting numerous art dealers and renowned collectors from around the world.

This year, the Art Fair takes a new step forward in partnership with the Eurasia Peace Rally, an incorporated association under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Unification. We will embark on a peace rally across the vast Eurasian continent, from Yurari Square in the Jagalchi area of Busan to Cabo da Roca in Portugal, and we hope to take works by our artists along the journey for exhibition.

To make this possible, we wish to look north. As a first step, we have purchased a small selection of artworks from North Korea to present at this year’s Art Fair. These include works depicting Mount Baekdu as seen from the north—not Changbai Mountain—as well as the crater lake of Mount Baekdu and a living tiger. The artists include respected North Korean People’s Artists, Merited Artists, and artists from the Mansudae Art Studio. These are authentic works being introduced in South Korea for the first time.

I remain committed to contributing to the cultural development of our society, and I would like to assure you that I will do my utmost to guide the Busan International Art Fair forward as it continues to grow as a leading art fair in Asia.

Distinguished guests,

I wish you good health and hope that you will bring the year to a wonderful close with the Busan International Art Fair. I also ask for your continued interest and support so that we may present an even more developed and successful Art Fair next year. With these words, I conclude my greetings.

Thank you.