Dr Ji-Young Lee

The Formation Background and Formative Characteristics of Eclecticism Interior Style in the Modern Period in Korea –

A Comparative Study of Korean Royal Interiors and British Decorative Arts (late 19th–early 20th century)

I am a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Visual Arts, Seoul National University. My research focuses on the transformation of Korean interior spaces during the transition to modernity, particularly the introduction of Western decorative materials – such as wallpapers, tiles, and carpets – into royal palace architecture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I have participated in several restoration projects of modern Korean palaces and have published widely on the historical meaning and stylistic features of palace interiors. As a Visiting Research Fellow at the V&A, I am examining how British decorative industries influenced East Asian interiors and how Western materials were reinterpreted within Korean traditions. My work aims to broaden the understanding of East Asian decorative arts and contribute to future museum practices in Korea.

Selected publications

Modernization of the Reception Ceremony and Interior Design in Gyeongungung Palace during the Daehan Empire and its Meaning. Archives of Design Research, Vol. 38, No. 3 (Aug. 2025).

Korean-Western Blended Interior Style and Its Meaning in the Korean Royal Palaces during the Japanese Colonial Period. Journal of the Korean Institute of Interior Design, Vol. 33, No. 6 (2024).

A Study on the Background and Stylistic Characteristics of the Joseon-Western Eclectic Interior Decoration: Focusing on the Wallpaper of Changdeokgung Palace. Archives of Design Research, Vol. 37, No. 2 (2024).

Restoration Project: Interior Environment Improvement of Huijeongdang and Daejojeon Halls, Changdeokgung Palace (2021–2023).

Exhibition: Crafting the House, Seoul Museum of Craft Art (2024–2025).