Large sums of celebrity money are pouring into the art market. In the past, becoming a building owner was the ultimate goal under the ‘can’t-lose’ myth of real estate, but now collecting and investing in artworks—so-called art-tech investment—has emerged as a new way to grow wealth.
Art investment can offer tax benefits, as well as the satisfaction of building a collection and the pleasure of living with beautiful objects. Some stars go beyond simple collecting, using a sharp eye to earn profits in the hundreds of millions of won and amassing collections that rival museums. This article looks into their investment portfolios.
“Worth whatever you ask for”…Kim Sook’s uncanny instinct for spotting an unknown artist
Broadcaster Kim Sook is a case of someone who spotted a sculpture by an unknown artist, bought it, and hit the jackpot.
Appearing recently on the YouTube channel Jodongari, Kim Sook recalled, “Twelve years ago, I was really into art, but I didn’t have any money. I wanted to own at least one piece and wondered if there was a good Korean artist I could buy from. Then I found a cross-shaped sculpture that I really liked and bought it for less than 1 million won.”
The piece she bought was a cross-shaped sculpture by artist Moon Young-tae. “At the time, that was a huge amount of money for me,” she said, adding, “Once I placed it in my home, it felt like my mind was being purified.”
Her bold decision to spend a large sum on a then-unknown artist ended up paying off.
“Ten years later, I visited a gallery run by my close senior, Lee Gwang-gi,” she recounted. “There were about ten paintings that looked really familiar. When I asked what they were, they said, ‘They’re by Moon Young-tae. His works just hit a record price at auction, and you can’t get them now.’”
She continued, “I started thinking, ‘I feel like I know this artist.’ It turned out the piece I had bought back then was also by Moon Young-tae. Lee Gwang-gi asked me, ‘Didn’t you get a sketch with it at the time?’ I couldn’t remember then, but when I went home and dug through some boxes, there it was—a sketch. That alone is worth about 2 million won.”
“The main piece can’t really be priced anymore,” Kim Sook said. “It’s worth whatever someone is willing to pay.” Her unexpected art-tech investment success story drew envy from those around her.
More collector than idol…BigBang’s T.O.P
T.O.P, formerly of the group BigBang, is a serious art collector.
He once revealed, “I spend more than 95% of my income on buying artworks. I own a wide range of pieces, from Andy Warhol to painter Kim Whanki,” underscoring just how obsessive a collector he is. He has even installed professional refrigeration facilities at home to preserve his collection.
In 2019, he and G-Dragon were both named among 50 ‘collectors to watch’ by the American art magazine ArtNews.
Kim Whanki, a pioneer of Korean abstract art, is the younger brother of his maternal grandfather, and T.O.P’s collection is said to be museum-level. “Many people on my mother’s side studied art,” he has explained. “Thanks to that, I was exposed to the diverse charms of contemporary art from a young age.” He has also revealed that he owns works such as Kim Whanki’s ‘Blue Dot’ painting.
The exact size and value of his collection are not publicly known, but he is reported to own works by major Korean and international masters such as Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter, Lee Ufan, and Park Seo-bo—pieces that can easily run into the hundreds of millions of won each.
A collection pricier than real estate…G-Dragon’s different path
G-Dragon has not gone into detail about his collection himself, but photos of his home that he shares on social media offer a glimpse of it.
His home is essentially a treasure trove. It features works by British expressionist painter Francis Bacon, pop art figures David Hockney and George Condo, and contemporary sculptural art giant Anish Kapoor, among others.
Some works by Francis Bacon are known to fetch prices in the tens of billions of won, suggesting that the value of G-Dragon’s pieces alone easily runs into the billions of won range.
In addition, his Richard Prince work ‘Millionaire Nurse’ once sold at Sotheby’s for about 3.7 billion won, and its current value is estimated at over 5 billion won.
He is also known to draw musical inspiration from his artworks and channel it into his songwriting. BigBang’s hit song ‘Bae Bae’ is famously said to have been inspired by a Francis Bacon piece he owns.
All the famous works are here…Kim Jae-joong, who lives in a museum-like home
Kim Jae-joong has turned his entire home into a gallery. His house is filled with works by famous artists, drawing much attention. When he revealed his home on a Japanese variety show in 2018, the roughly 100-pyeong (about 3,300-square-foot) penthouse looked less like a living space and more like a dedicated art collection space.
Particularly eye-catching were pieces such as Yayoi Kusama’s ‘Yellow Pumpkin,’ then priced at around 200 million won, and works by Lee Ufan. Even everyday objects in his home were chosen for their artistic value.
He once showed off a snake-patterned dining table, saying, “They say it brings wealth and good fortune. Only two people in Korea own this table—G-Dragon and me.” The table, a piece by a famous designer, is reportedly priced at around 50 million won.
Beyond collector: RM, the young leader driving K-art
RM of BTS (Bangtan Boys) is a powerful influencer when it comes to raising interest in art. There is even what fans call the ‘RM tour,’ where people follow the exhibitions he has visited. Both in Korea and abroad, Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth (ARMY) fans visit the same shows he does, injecting new energy into exhibitions and the art world.
Beyond that, the works he owns by Korean masters such as Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun, Kwon Ok-yeon, Kim Yun Shin, To SangBong, and Chang Ucchin attract global attention.
He is active not only in collecting but also in patronage. In 2021, he donated 100 million won to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation to support the preservation and restoration of Korean cultural heritage abroad, and he contributed another 100 million won in 2022.
Part of RM’s donation was used for the conservation treatment of a Hwarot at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
At the time, speaking through the National Palace Museum of Korea, he explained his reason for donating: “I heard from the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation that there were cultural properties overseas in need of conservation. I thought that once these artifacts are brought back into the public eye, it would be a great opportunity to showcase the excellence of our culture to the world.”
In recognition of his contribution to the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage, he received a plaque of appreciation from the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) in 2022.
From actor to gallery director…Lee Gwang-gi, now a professional auctioneer
Lee Gwang-gi has left acting altogether to pursue the path of an art collector. His passion for art runs so deep that he has even taken out loans to buy works.
Appearing on the Channel A variety show ‘Best Friends Documentary: Table for Four’ last year, he said, “As I studied art, I realized that even though I buy paintings because I like them, it would be nice if they also had value. When I see works and artists that are growing, I feel like I made the right choice,” highlighting his eye for art.
He drew attention when he added, “I said I wanted to buy a work by Nam June Paik, even though it was expensive, and my wife let me take out a loan to get it.”
He also shared a concrete example of profits. “When I need a large sum of cash, I sell a painting,” he said. “I bought a work by Yayoi Kusama in 1997, when no one was paying attention to her. Later, its value went up a hundredfold. I sold one or two pieces to help pay for my daughter’s wedding, and I also gave her a small painting as a gift.” He now runs Gallery KKI in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
The active moves of these stars suggest that art is no longer the exclusive domain of a select elite. Amid ever-tightening real estate regulations and volatile stock markets, art-tech investment has rapidly risen as a way to seek both aesthetic satisfaction and financial gains.
However, blindly copying others’ investments should be avoided. Experts caution that “artworks are not as liquid as stocks or real estate. They are not easy to trade immediately, and their value can fluctuate widely depending on the artist’s reputation and market trends, so doing your homework is essential.”
Rather than chasing returns alone, it is important to cultivate your eye and approach art investment with care.
Kim So-yeon’s Stech (Star + finance): As investment options diversify—from real assets like real estate, gold, and art to digital assets such as cryptocurrencies—this office-worker reporter, too lazy for stock trading and too cautious for crypto, takes a close look at how stars manage their money.
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
