Eligibility
Those who are engaged in creative work, education or research in traditional Hangeul and Hanja calligraphy, contemporary calligraphy, calligraphy design, wood carving, seal carving, literati painting, ink painting (plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo), folk painting and the like, or who are keenly interested in volunteer activities sharing their talents with communities or individuals
Full Member
Full Members are Young Artists, General Artists, Recommended Artists, Invited Artists and Officers who have paid annual dues or lifetime dues. Members whose qualifications are suspended, and Associate, Special and Honorary Members under Article 6 of the Articles of Incorporation, are not included in Full Members.
JoiningPromotion
Young Artist
JoiningKRW 30,000/ year
Registration fee KRW 10,000 (on first joining)
Artists aged 40 or under as of January 1 of the year who agree with the Society's ideals and purposes
General Artist
JoiningKRW 50,000/ year
Registration fee KRW 20,000 (on first joining)
Artists aged 41 or over as of January 1 of the year who agree with the Society's ideals and purposes
Recommended Artist
PromotionKRW 80,000/ year
Registration fee KRW 30,000 (on promotion from Young or General Artist)
Appointed from among Full Members who have been active for 3 years or more and have earned 10 or more points in awards
Invited Artist
PromotionKRW 100,000/ year
Registration fee KRW 50,000 (on promotion from Recommended Artist)
Appointed from among Recommended Artists who have been active for 5 years or more and have earned 15 or more points in awards
Officer
PromotionKRW 200,000/ year
Development fund KRW 2,000,000 (on assuming office)
Invited Artists who meet the separate activity criteria required of Officers, have received a recommendation from the Board of Directors and have been elected by the General Assembly under Article 11 of the Articles of Incorporation
BasisRegulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 2 · Regulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 3 · Regulations on the Appointment of Recommended and Invited Artists, Art. 9 · Articles of Incorporation, Art. 11 · Qualifications and Requirements for Artists, Members and Officers
Special appointment of Recommended and Invited Artists
This route allows a person to become a Recommended or Invited Artist on the basis of contribution and career instead of award points. Those who are not Full Members may also apply. After passing review by the Qualification Review Committee, the appointment is made with the approval of at least 2/3 of the Board of Directors.
Who may apply
- Persons who have made a special contribution to the development of calligraphy culture
- Persons who have worked in calligraphy education in Korea or abroad for 20 years or more
- Invited Artists of other calligraphy organisations registered with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
From application to appointment
- The applicant applies personally. Where the Board of Directors recommends a candidate, the candidate is deemed to have applied once they consent. The application states the status (Recommended Artist or Invited Artist) and the category (Traditional or Contemporary).
- At the regular review, the applicant undergoes document review and work review by the Qualification Review Committee. Award points, the period of activity as a Full Member or Recommended Artist, and the requirements for continuous entries and contribution to the Society do not apply. The portfolio review of representative works and the requirement of no disciplinary action within the past 5 years do apply.
- For applicants who pass review, the Board of Directors resolves with the approval of at least 2/3, and the Chairperson makes the appointment. The Board may resolve to appoint at a lower status than the one applied for.
Fees for special appointment of non-members
Fees are based on the status resolved by the Board of Directors. The registration fee is the sum of the admission and promotion registration fees that a Full Member pays to reach the same status. Guide to special appointment applications
- Non-member
- The application also serves as the membership application, and the Board's resolution also serves as approval of admission. The review fee is paid when applying and is not refunded regardless of the outcome. The registration fee and first-year annual dues, based on the status resolved, are paid together after the resolution. The appointment takes effect on the day all amounts are paid, and the person becomes a Full Member of that grade on that day. Annual dues for that grade are paid from the following year.
- Full Member
- After the resolution, pay the promotion registration fees for each step from the current grade to the grade resolved (e.g., from General Artist to Invited Artist: KRW 30,000 + KRW 50,000 = KRW 80,000). The appointment takes effect on the day of payment. Annual dues already paid and the exemption from annual dues for Lifetime Members remain unaffected.
- Members with unpaid annual dues
- Members whose powers have been restricted or whose status has been suspended must restore their status by paying all unpaid annual dues before applying as a Full Member.
- Reduction or waiver
- For persons who have made a special contribution to the development of calligraphy culture, the Board of Directors may, when resolving on the appointment, reduce or waive all or part of the registration fee, the first-year annual dues or the promotion registration fees. The review fee is not reduced. If no amount remains due, the appointment takes effect on the date of the Board's resolution.
- After appointment
- From the day the appointment takes effect, Recommended and Invited Artists bear the obligations to maintain their status: submitting works for renewal every 2 years, taking part in a Society exhibition at least once a year, mentoring emerging artists, and paying annual dues.
BasisRegulations on the Appointment of Recommended and Invited Artists, Art. 11 · Regulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 3 · Articles of Incorporation, Art. 5
01Common to all Full Members
- 1 free catalog when taking part in an exhibition
- Member rates for entry fees, mounting fees and catalog fees
- Annual dues waived when an individual artist homepage is built
- Society materials and publications provided free of charge
- An online space on the Society's website for managing and exhibiting one's career and works
- Right to vote and stand for election as an Officer, and to attend meetings and take part in resolutions
BasisRegulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 12 · Qualifications and Requirements for Artists, Members and Officers
02Recommended Artists and above
- Opportunity to register as a candidate for Invited Artist
- Priority in taking part in special exhibitions and overseas exchange exhibitions
- Selective support for initial homepage setup costs when requirements are met
BasisRegulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 12
03Invited Artists and above
- Eligibility to recommend candidates for Officer (elected by the General Assembly under Article 11 of the Articles of Incorporation)
- Eligibility as a Steering Committee Member or Juror
BasisRegulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 12
04Officers
- Priority in appointment as a Steering Committee Member or Juror
- 1-year waiver of the initial homepage setup fee and annual maintenance fee
- 5% discount on entry fees for the Invited Artists' Exhibition
BasisRegulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 12
If annual dues are not paid
- 1Unpaid in the current yearAfter notice of non-payment, member rights are restricted, such as access to web pages and participation in events
- 2Unpaid for 2 consecutive yearsMembership suspended; all member benefits and rights discontinued
- 3Unpaid for 3 consecutive yearsMay be expelled by a resolution of the Board of Directors under Article 9 of the Articles of Incorporation
- Payment deadline
- Annual dues are paid by January 31 each year.
- Restoration of status
- Members whose powers have been restricted or whose status has been suspended regain their former status on full payment of unpaid annual dues. Expelled members must rejoin.
- Deferral and instalments
- In special circumstances, payment may be deferred or made in instalments with the approval of the Board of Directors.
- Withdrawal
- Members may withdraw freely by submitting a notice of withdrawal to the Chairperson.
BasisRegulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 5 · Regulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 11 · Articles of Incorporation, Art. 8 · Qualifications and Requirements for Artists, Members and Officers
- Lifetime dues
- Annual dues × 10
- Any Full Member at the rank of Invited Artist or above may pay lifetime dues equal to 10 times the annual dues and apply for Lifetime Member status. For an Invited Artist, this is KRW 1,000,000.
- Officer development fund
- KRW 2,000,000
- An Officer who has paid the development fund of KRW 2,000,000 in full automatically acquires Lifetime Member status and is then permanently exempt from paying annual dues. A Lifetime Member who becomes an Officer pays only the difference after deducting the lifetime dues already paid.
- Instalment payment by CMS
- 20 months
- The development fund may be paid in instalments over up to 20 months through CMS.
Other cases of exemption from annual dues
- Artist homepage
- A Full Member who has concluded a homepage production and maintenance contract and paid the annual maintenance fee is exempt from annual dues for that year. The annual dues are also waived in a year in which 30 or more works were exhibited.
BasisRegulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 10
- Senior members
- Members aged 70 or over with 10 years or more of membership, whose contribution to the development of the Society is recognised as significant, may be exempted from annual dues upon deliberation by the Board of Directors.
BasisRegulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 13
BasisRegulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 3 · Regulations on Membership and Dues, Art. 4
