The British Museum is bringing two thousand years of Korean art to London in a major exhibition supported by Samsung Electronics, and drawn from the celebrated Lee Kun-Hee Collection.
The consumer electronics giant, along with the British Museum, hosted a gala yesterday to mark the opening of Korea, a major presentation of works from the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee’s renowned art collection.
The exhibition runs from October 1 2026 January 31 2027.
The London presentation follows similar exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington D.C. and the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s also the first major special presentation of Korean art at the British Museum in more than 40 years.
What to see at British Museum Korea Exhibition
Korea brings together 100 masterpieces spanning more than two millennia. The exhibition explores the development of Korean art, examining how distinctive aesthetic values and artistic achievements have been developed and reinterpreted across generations.
Drawn from the National Bequest of the Lee Kun-Hee Collection, it comprises more than 23,000 artworks donated in 2021.
Among the 100 works on display are 10 National Treasures and 13 Treasures of Korea. More than 20 works are being presented internationally for the first time.
These include the National Treasures Bronze Artifacts from Bisan-dong, Daegu, Bronze Rattles and Celadon Incense Burner with Girin-shaped Lid. The exhibition also covers modern and contemporary Korean art, with Nam June Paik’s Brahms, Lee Jungseop’s Bound People and Park Rehyun’s Woman among the works being shown internationally for the first time.
Among the 100 works on display are 10 National Treasures and 13 Treasures of Korea. More than 20 works are being presented internationally for the first time…
Lee Kun-Hee Collection makes European debut
The opening night gala brought together around 240 guests from the worlds of culture, business, politics and academia. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal attended the reception held before the gala dinner and formally marked the opening of the exhibition.
Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee attended alongside members of his family, including Hong Ra-Hee, Director Emerita of the Leeum Museum of Art, Lee Boo-jin, President and CEO of Hotel Shilla, and Lee Seo-hyun, President of Samsung C&T.
“For generations, my family has held a guiding principle that art and culture should be preserved and shared,” Executive Chairman Lee said. “I hope this exhibition offers a gateway into Korean culture, spanning two thousand years of creativity and heritage, and that it will let everyone see Korea a little differently, for its beauty, its depth and its resilience.”
The Lee family’s involvement in preserving Korean cultural heritage spans three generations. Samsung founder Lee Byung-Chull established the foundation of the collection, believing that cultural heritage should be passed to future generations. His son, the late Lee Kun-Hee, continued that work, developing and preserving the collection over several decades.
Hong Ra-Hee also played a significant role in expanding the collection to encompass ancient, modern and contemporary works. The Lee Kun-Hee Collection is now a national cultural asset, with its international tour giving audiences in major cities an opportunity to explore Korean art and culture.
George Osborne, Chair of the British Museum, said: “We are thrilled here at the British Museum to be hosting this incredible exhibition. The Lee family’s contribution to our shared cultural heritage helps us understand and interpret the past, so that we may understand the future.”
Korea exhibition gala dinner
The opening attracted senior figures from across the UK’s business and cultural communities. Representatives from BT Group, Vodafone, Sainsbury’s and Standard Chartered attended, alongside academics from the University of Oxford and Imperial College London.
Samsung’s semiconductor partners were represented by executives including ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet, Merck CEO Kai Beckmann, ZEISS CEO Andreas Pecher and imec CEO Patrick Vandenameele.
During his remarks, Jay Y. Lee also recognised three Korean War veterans attending the event, including Mike Roe. He thanked The Princess Royal for her visit to Korea in July 2026, when she honoured Korean War veterans.
Kanishka Narayan, Government Minister for Artificial Intelligence, said: “The UK and Korea work closely on technology and innovation, but there is so much more to our relationship.
Korea’s art and culture are admired around the world, and this exhibition gives people in Britain a chance to explore its extraordinary artistic heritage. I’m grateful to Samsung for bringing this remarkable collection to London and sharing it with audiences here.”
Kim Heung-chong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the UK, said it was “particularly meaningful” for the British Museum to host an exhibition covering two thousand years of Korean history at a time when Korean culture has achieved global recognition.
Korea is at the British Museum’s Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery from 1 October 2026 to 31 January 2027.
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The British Museum is bringing two thousand years of Korean art to London in a major exhibition supported by Samsung Electronics, and drawn from the celebrated Lee Kun-Hee Collection.
The consumer electronics giant, along with the British Museum, hosted a gala yesterday to mark the opening of Korea, a major presentation of works from the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee’s renowned art collection.
The exhibition runs from October 1 2026 January 31 2027.
The London presentation follows similar exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington D.C. and the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s also the first major special presentation of Korean art at the British Museum in more than 40 years.
What to see at British Museum Korea Exhibition
Korea brings together 100 masterpieces spanning more than two millennia. The exhibition explores the development of Korean art, examining how distinctive aesthetic values and artistic achievements have been developed and reinterpreted across generations.
Drawn from the National Bequest of the Lee Kun-Hee Collection, it comprises more than 23,000 artworks donated in 2021.
Among the 100 works on display are 10 National Treasures and 13 Treasures of Korea. More than 20 works are being presented internationally for the first time.
These include the National Treasures Bronze Artifacts from Bisan-dong, Daegu, Bronze Rattles and Celadon Incense Burner with Girin-shaped Lid. The exhibition also covers modern and contemporary Korean art, with Nam June Paik’s Brahms, Lee Jungseop’s Bound People and Park Rehyun’s Woman among the works being shown internationally for the first time.
Lee Kun-Hee Collection makes European debut
The opening night gala brought together around 240 guests from the worlds of culture, business, politics and academia. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal attended the reception held before the gala dinner and formally marked the opening of the exhibition.
Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee attended alongside members of his family, including Hong Ra-Hee, Director Emerita of the Leeum Museum of Art, Lee Boo-jin, President and CEO of Hotel Shilla, and Lee Seo-hyun, President of Samsung C&T.
“For generations, my family has held a guiding principle that art and culture should be preserved and shared,” Executive Chairman Lee said. “I hope this exhibition offers a gateway into Korean culture, spanning two thousand years of creativity and heritage, and that it will let everyone see Korea a little differently, for its beauty, its depth and its resilience.”
The Lee family’s involvement in preserving Korean cultural heritage spans three generations. Samsung founder Lee Byung-Chull established the foundation of the collection, believing that cultural heritage should be passed to future generations. His son, the late Lee Kun-Hee, continued that work, developing and preserving the collection over several decades.
Hong Ra-Hee also played a significant role in expanding the collection to encompass ancient, modern and contemporary works. The Lee Kun-Hee Collection is now a national cultural asset, with its international tour giving audiences in major cities an opportunity to explore Korean art and culture.
George Osborne, Chair of the British Museum, said: “We are thrilled here at the British Museum to be hosting this incredible exhibition. The Lee family’s contribution to our shared cultural heritage helps us understand and interpret the past, so that we may understand the future.”
Korea exhibition gala dinner
The opening attracted senior figures from across the UK’s business and cultural communities. Representatives from BT Group, Vodafone, Sainsbury’s and Standard Chartered attended, alongside academics from the University of Oxford and Imperial College London.
Samsung’s semiconductor partners were represented by executives including ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet, Merck CEO Kai Beckmann, ZEISS CEO Andreas Pecher and imec CEO Patrick Vandenameele.
During his remarks, Jay Y. Lee also recognised three Korean War veterans attending the event, including Mike Roe. He thanked The Princess Royal for her visit to Korea in July 2026, when she honoured Korean War veterans.
Kanishka Narayan, Government Minister for Artificial Intelligence, said: “The UK and Korea work closely on technology and innovation, but there is so much more to our relationship.
Korea’s art and culture are admired around the world, and this exhibition gives people in Britain a chance to explore its extraordinary artistic heritage. I’m grateful to Samsung for bringing this remarkable collection to London and sharing it with audiences here.”
Kim Heung-chong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the UK, said it was “particularly meaningful” for the British Museum to host an exhibition covering two thousand years of Korean history at a time when Korean culture has achieved global recognition.
Korea is at the British Museum’s Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery from 1 October 2026 to 31 January 2027.
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