By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young

K-Folk Painting (Minwha) is not merely an old painting. It is a living art imbued with the hopes, lives, humor, and wisdom of Koreans, and today it has become a vital pillar of K-culture spreading globally.

Recently, K- Folk Painting has formed a massive cultural ecosystem domestically, with a population of over 200,000 artists, enthusiasts, and students. This goes beyond simple painting, connecting to education, publishing, merchandise, and tourism industries, becoming a foundation for creating boundless added value.

The response overseas is particularly astonishing. At international venues like the Belarus National Folk Museum's invited exhibition and the LA Koreatown exhibition in the US, K- Folk Painting is gaining attention as unique content that fuses traditional beauty with modern sensibilities.

Foreigners embrace the Korean spirit and aspirations embodied in tigers, phoenixes, lotus flowers, and book illustrations as fresh cultural codes, recognizing K-Folk Painting not merely as folk art but as art worthy of global attention.

Moving forward, K- Folk Painting will become the core of next-generation K-content, following K-beauty, K-pop, and K-dramas.

K- Folk Painting holds immense potential: an annual market value exceeding 1 trillion won through education and experiential industries, enhanced national image via international exhibitions and donations, and investment value through entry into the global auction market.

K- Folk Painting transcends the inheritance of tradition; it is a cultural diplomacy asset symbolizing Korea's creativity and dynamism.

Just as past Folk Painting captured solace and hope in life, today's K- Folk Painting will establish itself as a symbol conveying Korea's dignity and future vision to the world.

K- Folk Painting, transcending tradition to color the world. Now is the time for it to leap beyond Korea and become a treasure of humanity.