Tiger and magpie of “K-pop Demon Hunters” featured in exhibition at Leeum Museum

▲ This photo is provided by Leeum Museum of Art in promotion of its special exhibition, “Tiger and Magpie: Hojak." As Netflix animation film “K-pop Demon Hunters” gains global popularity, the museum is showcasing an exhibition featuring the film’s tiger and magpie characters, Duffy and Suzy. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- As Netflix animation film “K-pop Demon Hunters” gains global popularity, the Leeum Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, Seoul, is showcasing an exhibition featuring the film’s tiger and magpie characters, Duffy and Suzy.

The special exhibition, “Tiger and Magpie: Hojak,” explores the tiger and magpie, two animals beloved in Korea and frequently depicted in traditional art. The tiger-and-magpie motif became a representative theme in late Joseon-era folk paintings.

Seven works related to this motif are on display. Among them, the 1592 painting “Hojakdo,” part of the museum’s collection, is being exhibited in Korea for the first time.

The piece combines multiple elements: “Chulsanho,” a tiger descending from the mountain to correct false authority assumed by foxes and wolves; “Gyeongjo,” a bird startled yet joyful at the birth of tiger cubs; and “Yuho,” interpreting a tiger rearing its cubs as a symbol of an extraordinary gentleman from birth. An inscription at the top right indicates it was painted in the Imjin year (1592). Unlike folk paintings, it follows the style of formal painting.

“This is the oldest surviving tiger-and-magpie painting in Korea,” the museum said. “It is significant in showing how the Chinese Yuan-style ‘Hojakdo’ evolved into a Korean form.”

Other highlights include “Songhamenghodo” by late Joseon master Kim Hong-do, painted in a highly realistic style; a 19th-century “Hojakdo” dubbed the “Picasso Tiger” for its resemblance to Picasso’s style and later serving as the inspiration for Hodori, mascot of the 1988 Seoul Olympics; another “Hojakdo” presumed to have been painted in 1874 by Shin Jae-hyun; and “Hopijangmukdo,” depicting a tiger-skin curtain.

“This is an opportunity to trace the roots of Korean characters now admired worldwide and to deepen understanding of traditional culture,” said Cho Ji-yoon, head of the museum’s collections research office.

The exhibition runs through Nov. 30. Reservations are available on the museum’s website. Admission is free and includes entry to the permanent exhibition of antique art.