Minji Chun

Research Topic: Mending "Hell Joseon": Activism and Engagement in Contemporary Korean Art

Supervisor: Professor J.P. Park

I am a DPhil candidate in History of Art, specialising in Korean contemporary art under the supervision of Professor J.P. Park. My doctoral thesis, "Mending 'Hell Joseon': Activism and Engagement in Contemporary Korean Art," examines the novel methods through which contemporary Korean artists, in an urgent response to immense societal transition and increasing government censorship, resisted political oppression, disseminated their work, and fostered fecund avenues of socially engaged dialogue within and beyond their artistic communities. These artists are often categorized under the broad and reductive label of “post-Minjung art” in local academic discourse, a label that fails to capture the full intent and reach of their practices. Unlike the general overviews of Korean art history currently available, my project will move beyond outdated frameworks to highlight the multifaceted contributions of these artists to contemporary activism. By providing a comprehensive account of social practice in contemporary Korea, this research delves into the strategies used to defuse military tensions between the South and North, tackle the neoliberal labour system, challenge state and global capitalism, and confront societal and religious taboos. More broadly, my academic interests span socially engaged art, art activism, media studies, museum studies, and Korean studies.

I have been working as an art critic, curator, and translator based in Oxford and Seoul (www.minjiswriting.xyz). My research and curatorial projects centering on East Asian contemporary art have been supported by the Ministries of France, Japan, and Korea, Asia-Europe Foundation, Korea Foundation, Arts Council Korea, Seoul Museum of Art, and Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, among others. After studying contemporary art history in the interdisciplinary MA programme in art management at Seoul National University, I have worked as a curatorial assistant at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), and a coordinator at the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS). I graduated summa cum laude from Yonsei University, double-majoring in French language & literature and digital arts as a valedictorian. My current doctoral research is generously funded by the Lotte Foundation and the Pony Chung Foundation.

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Journal Articles

“The Land of Promise: Migrant Workers in Contemporary Korea,” Art Journal (Forthcoming, Spring 2026)

“From Hidden to Latent: The ‘Media Virus’ in Contemporary South Korean Art,” Burlington Contemporary, Issue 11, November 2024

“Are You Real Men? Queering the Militarized Masculinity in South Korea,” FIELD – A Journal of Socially-Engaged Art Criticism, Issue 27, Spring 2024