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Ahn Hwijun (86), a prominent Korean art historian and former professor at the Department of Archaeology and Art History at Seoul National University, who established the groundwork for studies on the history of Korean painting, passed away on July 20.

A pioneer in the field of Korean art history, he earned his degree from the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at Seoul National University, later specializing in art history at Harvard University and Princeton University in the United States. Following his tenure as a teacher at the College of Fine Arts at Hongik University, he contributed to shaping future scholars within the Department of Archaeology and Art History at Seoul National University. He held various significant positions, including president of the Korean Art History Association, director of the Seoul National University Museum, member of the advisory committee for the construction of the National Museum of Korea, director of the Samsung Art and Culture Foundation, and member of the National History Compilation Committee.

He was a living witness to the stewardship of Korea’s cultural heritage. Since 1985, he has been a member of the Cultural Heritage Committee (now known as the National Heritage Committee) for 24 consecutive years, leading the subcommittee on movable cultural heritage for eight years and serving as committee chair for four years. From 2012 until September 2016, he was the first chairman of the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation (formerly known as the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation), dedicating himself to the repatriation and research of cultural artifacts held abroad.

He was awarded the Order of Civil Merit, Okjog Geumjeong, in 2006, alongside the Sejong Cultural Prize, Yonsei University’s Yongjae Academic Award, and the Academy of Korean Studies Award. He wrote key publications for scholars studying the history of Korean painting, such as *Korean Painting History* (1980), *The Tradition of Korean Painting*, and *My Korean Art History Research*.

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