Frieze Seoul will run 3–6 September at the Coex convention centre in Gangnam and will host around 120 galleries, including major international galleries alongside roughly 20 new exhibitors from Asia, Europe and North America. More than 40 galleries that participated last year are absent, producing a mixed roster and shifting market dynamics. South Korea experienced significant political upheaval since the previous fair, including a December 2024 martial-law declaration, mass protests, the impeachment and removal of the former president, leadership rotations and a June election. An ongoing economic downturn has intensified social divisions and created a climate of uncertainty for galleries and collectors.
The fourth edition of Frieze Seoul (3-6 September) comes at a challenging time for both the international art market and galleries operating in South Korea. However, a nascent new era of cautious optimism seems to be unfolding in the Korean art world, just in time for Frieze Seoul. The fair will once again welcome around 120 galleries to the Coex convention centre in Gangnam, an upscale neighborhood in Seoul.
As usual, mega-galleries like Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace, David Zwirner and White Cube will have a presence. The fair is also welcoming around 20 brand-new exhibitors this year, including 10 Chancery Lane Gallery and de Sarthe from Hong Kong, The Breeder from Athens, Carvalho Park from New York, Make Room from Los Angeles, and Ota Fine Arts from Tokyo. Still, more than 40 galleries are not returning, including Karma, Mariane Ibrahim, Michael Werner and Neugerriemschneider, all of which took part last year.
South Korea has undergone a roller-coaster of events since the last edition of the fair, even by the dramatic global standards of 2025. In December 2024 South Korea's former president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, a move that was immediately suspended by an emergency national assembly session and followed by months of widespread protests ending with his impeachment and removal from office.
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