Sunhyewon: Art and Culture in the Home of the Chaebol

This week, a friend invited me a visit a gallery exhibition open to the public but only by reservation and with very limited entry. It literally sold out in a day, and for good reason. It was held at Sunhyewon (선혜원).

While the structure was built in the late-sixties, it was only converted into a cultural space this year and renamed Sunhyewon which translates to “bestow wisdom”. Before then it was the private resident of Chey Jong-gun (최종건), the founder of the SK Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Korea. Yes, friends, Sunhyewon was the former home of the chairman of a chaebol.

If you’ve seen literally any k-drama, then you’ve probably heard the term “chaebol” more than a handful of times. A chaebol is a large industrial South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by some of the country’s wealthiest and most influential families. And if you’ve ever wanted to get an inside look at how the other half lives, this may be your chance.

This massive hanok in central Seoul was more than just a fancy home, it played an important role for the SK family over decades. After Mr. Chey, it became a training center and educational space dedicated to cultivating SK’s talent, kind of like an in-house hub.

The space is serene and steeped in history with wooden beams, classic hanok architecture, sliding doors, courtyards—all deeply Korean in style, and yet modernly minimalistic. The goal here being to create a cultural space open to the public that can bridge the past and present starting with world-renowned artist Kimsooja’s exhibition, “To Breathe – Sunhyewon.”

The exhibition isn’t very large, but it definitely leaves an impression. My favorite piece being where the floor of the largest hanok are covered with mirrors. It sounds simple, but walking across it, you see the architecture, light, and even yourself reflected. And for a brief moment it loosely blurs boundaries: ceiling becomes floor, inside meets outside, viewer meets space. It turns the traditional stillness of the hanok architecture into something breathing and alive. Absolutely gorgeous.

So, what used to be a private residence for business elites is now a cultural space you can walk into, experience, and reflect within. “To Breathe – Sunhyewon” will continue through October 19, 2025. The exhibition is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays and it’s free of charge. Reservations can only be made on Naver so be sure to check it out.

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