The art collection amassed by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee is being showcased in Europe, following exhibitions in the United States, as major works spanning some 2,000 years of Korean cultural heritage go on display in London.
Samsung said October 1 that a gala dinner was held at the British Museum in London on September 30 to mark the opening of “Korea: 2,000 Years of Creativity,” a special exhibition jointly organized by the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, and the British Museum.
The exhibition marks the British Museum’s first major exhibition of Korean art in 42 years. It also represents the third stop of the overseas tour of the KH Collection, following exhibitions in Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
At the heart of the exhibition are works donated to the Korean government by the family of Lee Kun-hee in 2021. The donation included approximately 23,000 cultural artifacts and artworks, including national treasures and treasures, collected by Lee over decades.
The donated works are now housed at institutions including the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and have been displayed at exhibitions across Korea. The overseas tour is giving international audiences an opportunity to view some of the collection’s major works.
The Lee Kun-hee Collection spans a broad range of periods and genres, from ancient cultural artifacts and Buddhist art to Goryeo celadon, Joseon-era paintings and crafts, and modern and contemporary Korean art.
Among the works being presented in London are “Inwang Jesaekdo” by Jeong Seon, “Chuseongbu-do” by Kim Hong-do and “Paradise” by Paik Nam-soon. The exhibition also features 10 designated national treasures and 13 treasures.
The exhibition traces the development of Korean creativity across approximately 2,000 years rather than focusing on a single artistic period. Through works ranging from ancient artifacts and Goryeo ceramics to Joseon paintings and modern art, visitors can explore the evolution of Korean artistic traditions.
The London exhibition follows the collection’s first overseas showing at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., in November last year. About 80,000 people visited the exhibition. The Chicago exhibition, held from March through July this year, attracted approximately 115,000 visitors, bringing the combined attendance in the two U.S. cities to around 195,000.
Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong highlighted the importance of preserving and sharing cultural heritage at the gala dinner.
“My family has upheld the principle across generations that art and culture should be preserved and shared,” Lee said. “I hope this exhibition will provide an opportunity to understand 2,000 years of Korean creativity and cultural heritage.”
The Lee Kun-hee Collection has drawn attention not only for the scale of the original private collection but also for its transformation into a public cultural asset. Following the 2021 donation, works that had once been privately held became accessible to the public through national museums and exhibitions.
The overseas tour has further expanded that role by bringing Korean cultural heritage to audiences outside the country. The London exhibition comes as international interest in Korea has expanded from contemporary popular culture such as K-pop and Korean cinema to the country’s traditional arts and cultural history.
By presenting works from ancient Korea through the modern era in one exhibition, the British Museum show offers international visitors a broader view of the historical foundations and artistic development of Korean culture.
The London exhibition represents another step in the international journey of the Lee Kun-hee Collection, transforming a personal passion for collecting into a cultural legacy that is being shared with audiences in Korea and abroad.
