The 2018 Korea Art Festival took place at KINTEX (Korea International Exhibition and Convention Center) located in Ilsan, South Korea and debuted rare North Korean artwork at the South and North Peace Art Exhibition in September and October. The special exhibition was a joint effort of Korea Fine Art Association, KINTEX, One Korea Global Campaign Organizing Committee, Korea Arts Festival Art Fair Organizing Committee, Chosun News Press, and Art & People.
The exhibition featured rare Chosunhwa works, North Korea’s traditional ink wash painting on rice paper, as well as oil paintings and needlepoint works. Other exhibitions at the festival included South Korean and foreign artwork. With the inclusion of the South and North Peace Art Exhibition, the festival reflected the spirit of reconciliation between the two Koreas. The display of North Korean artwork was a pre-exhibition for the anticipated March 1, 2019, South-North Peace Art Exhibition, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 1919 March 1 Korean Independence Movement.