ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

South Korea Proposes Licensing Law to Combat Art Forgery

institutional · 2026-04-20

South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is drafting legislation to address art forgery, as reported by The Korean Times. The new law would mandate that galleries and auction houses obtain licenses, which could be revoked if they are involved in forgery cases. Additionally, other dealer organizations must notify the Ministry before commencing operations. This initiative follows several recent forgery disputes involving works by prominent Korean artists Lee Ufan and Chun Kyung-ja. The proposed measures aim to strengthen oversight and accountability within the art market.

Key facts

  • South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced plans for a new law against art forgery
  • The law will require galleries and auction houses to hold licenses
  • Licenses can be revoked if entities are implicated in forgery
  • Other dealer organizations must report to the Ministry before opening for business
  • The law was prompted by recent forgery disputes
  • Disputes involved works by established Korean artists Lee Ufan and Chun Kyung-ja
  • The Korean Times reported the news
  • The law aims to clamp down on art forgery in South Korea

Entities

Artists

  • Lee Ufan
  • Chun Kyung-ja

Institutions

  • South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
  • The Korean Times

Locations

  • South Korea

Sources