The iconic Lee Kun-hee collection has arrived at the British Museum in London for a major special exhibition titled Korea: 2000 years of creativity, featuring 100 cultural works including 10 national treasures, following successful runs in Washington and Chicago, weekly.donga reported.
High-Profile Opening at the British Museum
The exhibition opened its doors on October 1, marking the first time in 42 years that the prestigious London institution has hosted a major special exhibition dedicated to Korean culture since 1984. Ahead of the public opening, a gala dinner and preview reception welcomed a host of international political and corporate figures. Among the attendees were Britain’s Princess Anne, Treasury Minister John Healey, and Artificial Intelligence Minister Kanishka Narayan.
Global industry leaders also filled the venue. ASML Chief Executive Officer Christophe Fouquet and Merck CEO Kai Beckmann joined the gathering, signaling the strong international profile of the event. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong attended alongside Leeum Museum of Art Honorary Director Hong Ra-hee, Hotel Shilla President Lee Boo-jin, Samsung C&T President Lee Seo-hyun, and International Olympic Committee Executive Board Member and International Skating Union President Kim Jae-yol.
The displayed items stem from the 11,023 cultural assets and artworks comprising roughly 23,000 pieces that the bereaved family of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee donated to the South Korean state.
Addressing guests during the preview events, Chairman Lee Jae-yong reflected on the family’s commitment to heritage. Our family has maintained the principle over several generations that art and culture must be preserved and shared together,
he stated, adding his hope that the exhibition would deepen international understanding of Korean creativity and cultural heritage across two millennia.
British Museum Board Chairman George Osborne praised the initiative during his welcoming remarks. The dedication of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee and his family to contributing to our shared human cultural heritage helps us understand the past and furthermore serves as a compass looking toward the future,
Osborne noted. South Korean Ambassador to the UK Kim Heung-jong emphasized the symbolic timing of the exhibition amid the global surge of interest in Korean culture.
| Exhibition Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Host Venue | The British Museum, London |
| Exhibition Title | Korea: 2000 years of creativity |
| Scale | 100 cultural works (including 10 National Treasures) |
| Previous Stops | Washington D.C., Chicago (200,000 total visitors) |
| Closing Date | January 31 |
Masterpieces Spanning Two Millennia
The curation spans from ancient metalcraft to modern and contemporary art, offering European audiences a comprehensive view of Korean artistic evolution. Visitors can view prominent historical items such as Jeong Seon’s Inwangjesekdo (Scenery of Inwangsan Mountain after Rain) and Kim Hong-do’s Chuseongtudo (Sound of Autumn).
The London run expands on previous international stops by introducing artifacts not previously sent abroad. These additions include the Bronze Age Bronze Artifacts from Bisan-dong, Daegu, designated as national treasures, alongside bundled bronze bells attributed to Deoksan and painter Lee Jung-seob’s Bound Persons. The traditional folk painting Magpie and Tiger, noted for its distinct humor and vitality, is also making its first appearance on an overseas tour.
Additional highlights connect historical aesthetics with modern cultural phenomena. The 19th-century folding screen Sun, Moon and Five Peaks—which gained wider attention after appearing in the animated project K-pop: Demon Hunters—is on display to illustrate the visual roots of contemporary Korean media. The final sections feature modern works by Park Soo-keun, Kim Whanki, Lee Jung-seob, and Chang Uc-jin, capturing the resilience of communities through the turbulence of modern Korean history.
National Museum of Korea Director Yoo Hong-jun pointed to the expanded scale of the British showing. Following the great success in Washington D.C. and Chicago, the overseas tour of the late Chairman Lee’s collection proceeds in London with a more robust composition containing more national treasures and cultural properties,
Yoo said, inviting European enthusiasts of Korean culture to visit.
The exhibition remains open to the public through January 31.
