David Kilburn obituary

My friend David Kilburn, who has died in Seoul, South Korea, aged 76, enjoyed a varied career as an advertising executive, journalist, entrepreneur and conservation activist. An unmistakable figure in his broad-brimmed hats and Issey Miyake suits, grey-bearded David was the epitome of an Englishman abroad.

In 2001 he founded the Tea Museum, a retail and restaurant business in Seoul. David actively campaigned against the destruction by property developers of Korea’s traditional hanok houses, often finding himself in opposition to vested interests in the construction industry.

Born in Widnes, Lancashire, David attended the King’s school, Chester. He graduated with a chemistry degree from the University of Birmingham in 1966. After working for three years at the advertising agency Leo Burnett, in London, in 1972 David began a 10-year stint as an international account handler at Ogilvy & Mather, culminating in establishing the agency’s new Dubai office.

In 1985 David moved to Tokyo and became the Asia correspondent for Advertising Age, now Ad Age, and then Adweek. During a pivotal era in the expansion of advertising agencies and global brands across east Asia’s booming economies, David’s access to the movers and shakers of the region’s advertising sector during the 1980s and 90s made his reporting essential reading for marketers and agencies.

David met his Korean wife, Jade, in the early 80s and the couple married in 1987. The following year, David acquired a hanok in the Kahoi-dong district of Seoul, among the narrow winding alleys next to the city’s ancient royal palaces. As an authentic example of Korea’s endangered architectural heritage, David and Jade’s hanok was featured in articles in leading newspapers and magazines.

In recent years, David joined the silent protests in Trafalgar Square in support of justice for the families of the 300 victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. In the 70s, he was also active in opposing the proposed redevelopment of Covent Garden in central London.

Throughout his life, David maintained a keen interest in the visual arts and was an avid collector of Asian artefacts, including furniture and porcelain, especially items related to tea.

He is survived by Jade.