The News, Explained
LG announced a new series about local art and culture for LG Gallery+ on November 3. LG Gallery+ is a service for viewing art content on LG TVs. Its first Korean collection contains 21 digital artworks inspired by Joseon royal culture. Called Season 1 – Joseon Royal Court Series within the K-Heritage Collection, it reinterprets palace architecture, royal paintings, ceramics, and artifacts as works for a screen. Source
The announcement’s footnotes set out TV access conditions separately. The subscription service is available on LG smart TVs running webOS 25 or later, including older TVs upgraded to webOS 25. webOS is the operating system that runs apps and features on LG smart TVs. The premium service requires login and payment-method registration. This distinguishes the software currently running on a TV and its subscription requirements from the TV’s release year alone. Source
The free trial is described as three months of premium LG Gallery+ for LG Art TVs. Unless cancelled before the trial ends, the subscription automatically renews to a paid plan. The promotional offer runs through December 31, 2027 and applies only in the operating markets listed in the announcement, including South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. That Art TV benefit should retain its stated scope. The announcement does not specify a monthly subscription price. Source
Some works take the form of moving media-art videos. Media art here refers to artistic content made through digital forms such as video. Into the Throne Hall shows the decorative painting, ceilings, and pillars inside Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung Palace. Between Moon and Water depicts nighttime views of Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and its surroundings. These examples offer ways to encounter an interior space or a nighttime landscape through the screen. Source
Paintings and objects provide other starting points. LG names Ilwolobongdo, depicting the sun, moon, and five peaks; Morando, featuring peonies; and Gunando, featuring flocks of wild geese. Other works center on moon jars, Buncheong ware, blue-and-white porcelain, and state seals. The figure of 21 counts the digital artworks produced from this heritage, and needs to be distinguished from a count of physical artifacts. Source
Three companies divided the production work. WIPCO supported production with digital assets, HEDIT of Heritage LAB led planning and creation, and ELFACTORY handled platform integration and distribution. Their roles connect the creation of screen-based content from cultural heritage with its delivery through a TV service. Source
LG says the overall service provides access to more than 5,000 works, spanning paintings, sculpture, game illustrations, and nature photography. That overall catalog and the new collection of 21 Korean works have different scopes. The announcement also names the OLED evo W6 Wallpaper TV, OLED evo G6, and LG Gallery TV as examples of its Art TV lineup. Source
LG says it plans to expand the series to the art and culture of other regions. This announcement establishes the Korean collection’s content and the stated service and trial conditions. It does not establish an identical artwork catalog in every country or a simultaneous release calendar for new regions. Source
OYOPICK’s Take
The interesting possibility is bringing palace spaces, paintings, and ceramics together within one screen-based service. A video following architectural details in Geunjeongjeon offers a different way to look from a work based on a royal painting. If descriptions make those differences clear, choosing an image for a TV could also become an introduction to a particular place and tradition. Source
It is encouraging that older TVs can qualify through the stated software upgrade, giving existing hardware a route to the service. Service eligibility and the trial benefit for Art TVs still need to remain distinct. Clearer access to artwork explanations, production details, and regional catalogs would help people assess both the subscription conditions and the content they could actually view. Source