Editor’s Note
This article has been updated to include the appointment of Seo Min-hee as the head of Phillips Auction’s Korean office.
Seo Min-hee (pictured), who previously served as a director at K Auction, has been appointed as the head of Phillips Auction’s Korean office.
The newly appointed head, Ms. Seo, studied at Ewha Womans University and the State University of New York. She has worked at the Japan Society Gallery in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York. At K Auction, she worked as a specialist in modern and contemporary art, contributing to opening up domestic and international sales channels.
Phillips Auction is a global auction house founded in London, UK, in 1796. It provides collecting services in the fields of contemporary art, design, photography, editions, and watches & jewelry. Auctions and exhibitions are held in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong. By operating an online auction platform accessible from anywhere in the world, it supports artwork purchases, private sales, and artwork appraisal/valuation.
Phillips reported that it has shown steady growth since opening its office in Seoul in 2018. Despite the COVID-19 situation, the auction success rate for Korean collectors in 2021 increased by 323% compared to the previous year, and private sales also grew by 90% year-on-year. In line with this trend, Phillips first unveiled its ‘New Romantics’ curated exhibition in Seoul in September ahead of private sales.