The Offer from Oslo
Kim Jae-won, who ran an 850,000-subscriber YouTube channel called Digging Deeper, knew the moment he saw Nutflix’s teaser.
"This is going to blow up."
"I have to review this."
His channel was known for taking a deep dive into hot-button incidents and viral videos.
It wasn’t the sort of place that simply gathered up rumors and repeated them.
His style was to dig up the source material himself, bring in expert interviews, and deliver the real facts.
"The Singing Bird box... this was more than eighty years ago."
As he watched the teaser over and over, analyzing every frame for what must have been the umpteenth time, Kim Jae-won’s eyes flashed.
The official comments section on YouTube was already in chaos.
The reaction overseas was beyond explosive; it was a full-blown riot.
It had hit number one in the Reddit documentary subreddit.
It was trending number one worldwide on Twitter.
Across every kind of community, posts about it were pouring in by the minute.
"But I can’t handle this carelessly."
It was a sensitive topic.
If he handled it wrong, the backlash could come hard.
After a moment’s thought, Kim Jae-won searched through his contacts.
When you didn’t know something, the answer was to call in an expert.
"Hello? Ah, Professor Jeong, it’s been a while. This is Kim Jae-won from Digging Deeper. Yes, yes. I hope you’ve been well. It really has been a long time."
Professor Jeong Hyeon-su of Korea University’s Department of Western History.
They had met years ago while appearing on a public broadcast together.
Since he’d occasionally asked for advice when he needed help, calling him wasn’t difficult.
"The reason I’m calling is that I’m preparing a video this time, and if you have the time, would you be willing to help me analyze it?"
A reply came through the receiver.
"What’s the topic this time?"
"The Singing Bird box. Have you seen the Nutflix teaser?"
"Ah, that one?"
Professor Jeong’s voice brightened on the other end.
"Haha. Of course I saw it. To be honest, it’s become quite the topic in academic circles too. Everyone’s wondering what kind of documentary it is."
"I see. If you’re free tomorrow, could you come to the studio?"
"Tomorrow? Around two in the afternoon should be fine. How’s that?"
"That’s perfect. I really appreciate it. See you tomorrow."
The booking was a success.
As soon as he hung up, Kim Jae-won called his editor.
"Hyung, push back everything else this week. There’s something I need to do first."
"What now? I’m already editing another video."
"Hyung. That’s not the point. Professor Jeong and I are filming a short Nutflix teaser analysis tomorrow. If we nail this, we’ll clear a million views without breaking a sweat."
And two days later, the video went up.
[Digging Deeper] Nutflix’s Singing Bird Teaser, Fully Analyzed (ft. Professor Jeong Hyeon-su of Korea University)
[1,892,847 views. Uploaded 1 day ago]
- Wow... this wasn’t just a teaser. It had history packed into it. I got chills watching it.
- I’m sold. They restored the hidden part at 12 seconds with the latest tech.
- So you’re saying that the artifacts in the street-vendor stall the culprit knocked over in that SNS video of appraiser Kim Si-woo catching a pickpocket in Hong Kong were what he found?
- Getting the professor was genius. I had no idea there were this many secrets buried in such a short teaser.
YouTube exploded in a single day.
Foreign viewers came in and left comments of all kinds.
Above all, bringing in Professor Jeong of Korea University was a masterstroke.
The history behind the Singing Bird box.
Its present-day value.
The video was packed with all kinds of explanations.
After Vienna, Austria was trampled under Nazi boots.
It skillfully unfolded the story of the Jews who were forced into exile overseas.
There was a strange satisfaction in tracing history through the tiny clues hidden in the teaser.
In Norway, Edvard Munch’s status went far beyond that of a mere painter.
He was a symbol of Norwegian art history and an image that represented the nation itself.
He appeared in school textbooks, of course.
His portrait had once been printed on the highest-denomination banknote, and his image was repeatedly used in postage stamps and tourism branding.
And yet.
They had discovered an early Munch sketch that had never once been reported to the academic world?
And not just any sketch, but a study that could become the prototype for the Scream series.
The museum board, upon hearing the news, immediately called an emergency meeting.
"We must secure it. Whatever it takes."
The voice of Ingrid, the board’s representative, was unyielding.
"I don’t care how much the budget is. The Oslo city council will agree too. If it’s an early work for Munch’s Scream, the citizens will want it back no matter the cost."
"The problem is that the owner hasn’t expressed any intention to sell."
Helena said as she flipped through the materials.
"Kim Si-woo. He’s a young Korean appraiser. He’s recently attracted global attention through the teaser for the Nutflix documentary, and after the Hong Kong auction case, he came into possession of 80 billion won. He has no reason to sell Munch’s sketch right now."
"That’s why we have to go ourselves and persuade him."
Ingrid pressed her fingers to her temples as if the headache was already setting in.
"We need to show sincerity. This isn’t something a phone call can solve."
While the teaser video uploaded to Nutflix’s official channel was becoming a global sensation, Helena Vik and other Munch Museum officials came to Korea after the board meeting.
Chief Curator Helena Vik.
Legal advisors and the board representative of the Munch Museum all appeared at Incheon Airport in Korea.
"You’re from the Munch Museum, correct?"
A young man in a neat suit stood holding a sign.
"Yes, that’s right."
"I’m here from Eterna Gallery. A vehicle is ready, so please come this way."
A direct pickup.
Ingrid murmured under her breath.
"They do know how to observe formalities. This level of reception... should we take it as a positive sign?"
Once they got into the black luxury sedan, the car set off smoothly.
Seoul slipped by beyond the window.
High-rises.
Busy streets.
It had an energy clearly different from Oslo’s.
"How long to the gallery?"
"About forty minutes."
The car drove deeper into downtown Seoul.
And then, at some point, Helena’s eyes fixed on the window.
A massive mural covered the side of a building.
It was a work that seemed to reinterpret Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
Blue and yellow swirls wrapped around the entire building.
"Oh."
Ingrid leaned out to look as well.
Every time the car turned into a side street, a new mural appeared.
One wall bloomed with water lilies in the style of Monet.
Another featured golden patterns that called Klimt to mind.
Parasols were open across café terraces.
People were taking photos in front of the murals.
"This whole street..."
"It’s part of a project Eterna Gallery has been pushing to turn the area into an art district."
The car gradually slowed.
All three of them widened their eyes at once.
"All of that...?"
A long line stretched out in front of the building.
There had to be more than a hundred people waiting to enter.
"Today’s actually a bit shorter than usual."
"This is short?"
"On weekends, it’s twice this long."
The three exchanged looks.
It wasn’t even a famous museum, just a private gallery, and the line was this long.
The car entered the parking lot at the rear of the building.
After getting out, Helena looked up at the structure.
A five-story modern building.
Glass and concrete in harmony.
A gallery standing tall in the middle of a glittering downtown.
"It’s much bigger than I expected."
Ingrid sounded impressed.
"I’d heard it was remarkable for a private gallery, but this much? We completely underestimated it."
Following the staff’s guidance, they stepped inside.
Even the lobby was something else.
Natural light spilled down from the high ceiling.
Every wall they could see was hung with works of art.
Helena’s eyes moved naturally from painting to painting.
Renoir?
That one had a Monet feel.
"Excuse me."
Helena stopped walking and approached a painting on the wall.
A small oil painting.
Water lilies floating on a pond.
"This... don’t tell me..."
"Ah, that one isn’t a Monet original. It’s a work by Blanche Hoschedé, one of his students."
A voice came from behind her.
When Helena turned,
a young East Asian man was standing there.
Neat shirt, relaxed smile.
She already knew his face.
No, it would have been impossible not to.
The man who had bought the early sketch of Scream at an online auction.
The man at the center of a global storm of attention after a mere few minutes of documentary teaser footage on Nutflix.
"Thank you for making the long trip."
Si-woo said in English as he extended his hand.
"I’m Kim Si-woo, advisor at Eterna Gallery."
Helena took his hand.
"I’m Helena Vik, chief curator of the Munch Museum."
They arrived at the VIP reception room on the fourth floor.
Beyond the wide glass windows, the skyline of tall towers spread out before them.
"Please, have a seat."
He offered them chairs.
Si-woo and Shin A-young sat on one side, while the three guests took their seats opposite them.
In the slightly tense atmosphere, Si-woo spoke first.
"You must have had a long flight. How are you feeling?"
In response, Helena Vik said, "I’m fine."
She took the coffee cup and wet her throat, then after staring out at the view for a moment, she spoke again.
"Before we discuss the negotiation, I’d like to say something first."
"Of course, please go ahead."
"Thank you."
"Pardon?"
"For finding Munch’s study."
Helena’s eyes held real sincerity.
"I’ve studied Edvard Munch for more than twenty years. And yet I didn’t even know such a work existed. It had never been reported anywhere in academia."
Helena looked directly at Kim Si-woo.
"To be honest, I asked myself whether I would have recognized that work if I were in your place. Frankly, I’m not confident I would have. If I’d seen only the photo from the online auction, I probably would have thought it was just some copy someone made."
"I just got lucky."
Without the status window, I would have been the same.
At that moment, Ingrid cut in.
"Appraiser Kim Si-woo’s eye for quality is already well known in the industry. There was the Hong Kong case, of course, but even before that, I was always impressed by his ability to find works others had overlooked."
"You’re too kind."
"No, I’m stating a fact."
Ingrid spoke with blunt honesty, without a trace of false politeness.
Anyone who had seen what the young appraiser had accomplished would have been impressed.
It wasn’t an exaggeration.
"And creating a space like this in the middle of the city is remarkable too. You’ve even turned the surrounding streets into an art district. There are a lot of young people around, and the place feels lively, which is wonderful."
"That’s all thanks to Representative Shin A-young here."
"Thank you for seeing it that way."
Only then did Shin A-young exchange greetings with them.
After the small talk came to an end, Helena Vik straightened in her seat.
In an instant, her eyes sharpened.
"I’ll speak frankly. We absolutely want to secure Munch’s sketch. Munch is Norway’s pride. If this is an early sketch of Scream that was never reported to academia, then this isn’t just an art transaction. It’s the return of Norwegian cultural heritage."
"Hmm."
They had come prepared to persuade Si-woo with everything they had.
"The ownership naturally remains with Appraiser Kim Si-woo. We only ask that you understand how desperately we want this work. For that reason, we’ve prepared several options."
Helena Vik spread the documents across the table.
"First, a full purchase. We’ve already obtained preliminary approval from the Oslo city council."
At that, Si-woo shook his head.
"I’m sorry, but I have no intention of selling it right now."
The original early sketch of Munch’s Scream.
Even if he did nothing, its price would continue to soar.
Now that it had been confirmed authentic, its significance would never fade; if anything, it would only grow with time.
Even after Si-woo’s refusal, Helena Vik nodded calmly.
She had expected as much.
Unless the amount was outrageous, someone sitting on 80 billion won had no reason to sell.
"Second, a long-term loan. You retain ownership, and we pay a rental fee to exhibit it."
"What’s the fee?"
Shin A-young asked from beside him.
"We guarantee a base annual rental fee of two million dollars. In addition, we’ll have it evaluated each year by an outside expert appraisal institution and apply an upward rate proportionate to any increase in asset value."
Helena added to the explanation, pointing to a specific figure in the documents.
"It’s a value-linked premium structure, with the rental fee adjusting in real time as the work’s market value rises. We’re offering this because we’re certain the value of the early Scream sketch will increase exponentially as the years pass. On top of that, the Munch Museum will, in principle, bear all logistics costs, full coverage insurance, and the entire cost of conservation scientists for ongoing condition checks."
They had brought conditions that were more impressive than expected.
Good enough to make him hesitate for a moment.
"Our final third proposal is a joint ownership and cross-exhibition arrangement."
Helena pushed forward the thickest stack of documents and continued.
"Based on the work’s current estimated value, our museum would acquire a fifty percent stake. In return, we would immediately pay a thirty-million-dollar deposit, roughly four billion won."
Even Shin A-young looked surprised.
Four billion won for half the share meant they valued the entire work at more than eight billion won.
"In addition, if you choose this option, Appraiser Kim Si-woo, you would be appointed to the board of the Munch Museum. That would mean you would hold status in the global art world as a partner sharing stewardship of a Norwegian national treasure."
The terms Helena presented were nothing short of extraordinary.
But there was a clear reason they were making such an aggressive bid.
Recently, Arab royal families in the Middle East and wealthy new money all over the world had been charging aggressively into the art market.
If the original sketch of Scream were ever put up for open auction, then even a national museum might struggle to outbid the astronomical sums they could pour in.
Of course, all of that was only hypothetical.
"Appraiser Kim Si-woo. What do you want?"
Every eye in the room focused on him.
After a moment of thought, Si-woo opened his mouth to answer.