Ancient Korean Culture and Architecture by Dr Hong-June You

We are excited to welcome Dr Hong-June You (유홍준), Director of the National Museum of Korea, at the University of Cambridge.

His lecture, delivered in English, explores the distinctive characteristics of ancient Korean culture and architecture through major archaeological sites, works of art, Buddhist monuments, temples, and royal architecture. Beginning with Korea’s prehistory and the Three Kingdoms period, it examines the material cultures of Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, and Gaya, including tomb murals, pottery, gold crowns, Buddhist reliquaries, and sculpture. It then traces the development of Korean Buddhist art and architecture, with particular attention to Seokguram Grotto, stone pagodas, Bulguksa Temple, and the mountain temple tradition.

The lecture emphasizes a recurring aesthetic principle in Korean art—“humble yet not undignified, splendid yet not extravagant”—and considers how Korean architecture developed through a close relationship with the natural environment.

This lecture will offer a glimpse into Korea’s cultural heritage, which reveals the roots and identity of Korean culture that is attracting growing attention around the world today.

Bio: Dr Hong June You (유홍준) is currently Director of the National Museum of Korea (국립중앙박물관) which holds the country’s largest collection of cultural artefacts. He is particularly famous for his best-selling book series My Cultural Heritage Exploration (나의 문화유산답사기) and has published numerous works on Korean art and culture. Dr You received his BA in Aesthetics from Seoul National University, an MA in Art History from Hongik University, and his PhD in East Asian Philosophy from Sungkyunkwan University.

This event is free and open to the public. For enquiries, please contact nk588@cam.ac.uk. 

This event is part of the Ra Jong-Yil Forum in Korean Studies, organized by the Korean Studies Subject Group at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge.