Kim Whanki, ‘19-VI-71 #206’ (1971). (Christie’s)

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At 8:56 p.m. Monday in New York (10:56 a.m. Tuesday KST), a hush fell over the Christie’s Rockefeller Center auction room in Manhattan as Lot 69 appeared in the “20th Century Evening Sale.” All eyes turned to 19-VI-71 #206, a monumental dot painting by modern Korean master Kim Whanki (1913–1974), amid speculation that it might break the all-time record for a Korean artwork at auction.

After intense bidding among four phone buyers, the piece sold for $8.4 million, well above its low estimate of $7.5 million. Including a buyer premium in the 20 percent range, the final price reached $10.295 million — the second-highest auction price ever for a Korean artwork.

The record still belongs to Kim’s Universe (05-IV-71 #200), which sold for 15.35 billion won ($11.3 million) at Christie’s Hong Kong in November 2019. Christie’s noted that “Kim Whanki now holds all of the top five spots” among the highest-priced Korean artworks.

Measuring 254×203 cm, 19-VI-71 #206 is a late masterpiece featuring radiating constellations of dots that evoke infinite space — an abstract representation of Kim’s longing for his homeland during his years in New York. The seller reportedly acquired the painting from Gallery Hyundai in 2016 before consigning it to the auction.

Experts said that beyond the record-breaking price, it was historic that a Korean artwork appeared for the first time in Christie’s prestigious New York “Evening Sale,” alongside pieces by Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, David Hockney, and Alberto Giacometti.

Another Korean artist, Lee Ufan, also drew attention that night — his 1986 work From Winds fetched $1.52 million including fees.

“This was a collector-driven and healthy market, where strong works still achieved high prices despite the difficult environment,” said Lee Hak-jun, head of Christie’s Korea. “It feels as though the Korean Wave has now reached the global art market.”

Following the strong showing by Kim and Lee, anticipation for the “art Hallyu” movement is growing. In May next year, Lee Ufan will hold a major solo exhibition at Dia Beacon, one of New York’s leading art museums, while artist Lee Bul is also set to open a solo show at Hauser & Wirth, her New York gallery.