Lee Kun-Hee Collection Arrives in Europe With Major ‘Korea’ Exhibition at the British Museum
Samsung Electronics and the British Museum have opened a major exhibition celebrating more than 2,000 years of Korean art and cultural heritage, bringing highlights from the renowned Lee Kun-Hee Collection to European audiences for the first time.
The two organizations hosted a gala event at the British Museum on Sept. 30 to mark the opening of “Korea,” a major presentation featuring works from the collection of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee. Following successful exhibitions in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, the London presentation represents the European stop on the collection’s international tour.
Running from Oct. 1, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2027, the exhibition is being presented at the Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery. It marks the British Museum’s first major special presentation dedicated to Korean art in more than 40 years.
Bringing together works spanning more than two millennia, “Korea” presents Korean art as a continuous cultural narrative. The exhibition explores how distinctive Korean aesthetic values, artistic techniques and cultural traditions have been developed, preserved and reinterpreted across generations.
The exhibition draws from the more than 23,000 works included in the National Bequest of the Lee Kun-Hee Collection, donated in 2021. It is organized by the British Museum, the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.
Celebrating Korea’s Cultural Heritage
Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee attended the gala 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.
In his remarks, Executive Chairman Lee reflected on his family’s multigenerational commitment to preserving Korea’s cultural heritage and making it accessible to audiences around the world.
“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 reception held ahead of the gala dinner was attended by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who marked the opening of the exhibition.
The event brought together approximately 240 guests from government, business, academia and the cultural sector. Attendees included Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey MP, Minister for Artificial Intelligence Kanishka Narayan MP, former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Oliver Dowden, former Trade Minister Sir Greg Hands and former Culture Secretary Sir John Whittingdale.
Representatives from the Republic of Korea All-Party Parliamentary Group, including Trade Envoy to the Republic of Korea John Slinger, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and Dr. Ben Spencer, also attended.
Strengthening UK-Korea Cultural Connections
George Osborne, Chair of the British Museum, highlighted the broader cultural importance of the exhibition and the Lee family’s contribution to preserving and interpreting history.
“We are thrilled here at the British Museum to be hosting this incredible exhibition,” Osborne said. “The Lee family’s contribution to our shared cultural heritage helps us understand and interpret the past, so that we may understand the future.”
Maurice Lévy, Chairman Emeritus of Publicis Groupe, described the exhibition as an opportunity to look beyond individual artworks and understand the cultural values represented by them, including craftsmanship, imagination, discipline and excellence.
Kanishka Narayan, Minister for Artificial Intelligence, also emphasized the breadth of the relationship between the United Kingdom and Korea.
“The UK and Korea work closely on technology and innovation, but there is so much more to our relationship,” Narayan said. “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.”
Kim Heung-chong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the U.K., said the exhibition was particularly significant at a time when Korean culture is receiving growing international recognition. He also thanked Executive Chairman Lee for helping make the presentation possible.
The gala reflected the breadth of connections between the two countries. Business leaders from BT Group, Vodafone, Sainsbury’s and Standard Chartered attended, alongside representatives from the University of Oxford and Imperial College London.
The cultural community was represented by institutions including the British Museum, Tate Modern, the V&A and Lisson Gallery, as well as contemporary artist Marc Quinn.
Senior executives from Samsung’s semiconductor industry partners were also present, including ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet, Merck CEO Kai Beckmann, ZEISS CEO Andreas Pecher and imec CEO Patrick Vandenameele.
Honoring Korean War Veterans
During his remarks, Executive Chairman Lee also paid tribute to Korean War veterans attending the event, including Mike Roe.
He thanked The Princess Royal for her visit to Korea in July 2026, when she participated in commemorations honoring Korean War veterans. Lee also highlighted the more than 140 years of relations between Korea and the United Kingdom, along with Samsung’s eight decades of business ties with the country.
He noted that the U.K. has served as the center of Samsung’s European operations for more than five decades, underscoring the longstanding economic and institutional connections between the two countries.
100 Works Highlight Two Millennia of Korean Art
The London exhibition features 100 major works, including 10 National Treasures and 13 Treasures of Korea. More than 20 works are being presented internationally for the first time.
Among the newly displayed historical works are the National Treasures “Bronze Artifacts from Bisan-dong, Daegu,” “Bronze Rattles” and “Celadon Incense Burner with Girin-shaped Lid.”
The exhibition also highlights Korea’s modern and contemporary artistic achievements. Works being shown internationally for the first time include Nam June Paik’s “Brahms,” Lee Jungseop’s “Bound People” and Park Rehyun’s “Woman.”
Together, the works demonstrate the breadth of Korean artistic expression, connecting historical traditions with the development of modern and contemporary art.
A Three-Generation Commitment to Art
The Lee family’s involvement in preserving Korean cultural heritage spans three generations.
Samsung founder Lee Byung-Chull established the foundation of the family’s collection, guided by the belief that important cultural heritage should be preserved for future generations.
His son, the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee, continued that mission over several decades, building and safeguarding a collection that encompassed both ancient Korean art and modern works. His approach viewed cultural heritage not simply as something to possess, but as something to protect and preserve.
Hong Ra-Hee, Director Emerita of the Leeum Museum of Art, also played an important role in developing the collection and expanding its scope across different periods and artistic disciplines.
Following the 2021 national donation, the Lee Kun-Hee Collection became a significant national cultural asset. Its international tour is now providing audiences beyond Korea with opportunities to explore the country’s artistic heritage.
The tour began in November 2025 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., where the exhibition attracted approximately 80,000 visitors and became the museum’s largest special exhibition in 10 years.
It then traveled to the Art Institute of Chicago, drawing approximately 115,000 visitors and demonstrating international interest in Korea’s artistic history and cultural traditions.
The London exhibition continues that international journey, bringing a selection of the collection’s most significant works to a major European cultural institution.
Through the exhibition, Samsung is continuing its effort to introduce Korean cultural heritage to international audiences while strengthening longstanding connections between Korea and the United Kingdom.
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