Jiyeon Kim, Ph.D., Curator of Korean Art and Culture

Jiyeon Kim first joined the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in 2016 as a project specialist and returned in 2023 as the Curator of Korean Art. She led the development of PEM’s new Korean Art Gallery, which opened in May 2025, and co-curated Jung Yeondoo: Building Dreams the same year.

With over 15 years of experience in teaching and research in both Korea and the United States, Kim brings expertise and a dynamic curatorial vision to her role. She earned her Ph.D. in Korean Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles, and completed postdoctoral research at Columbia University.

Her recent research focuses on the early collecting history of Korean art in U.S. museums and the emergence of new styles and aesthetics during the final years of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Kim has published extensively in academic journals and edited volumes and remains actively engaged in local and international scholarly and cultural communities.