{"id":633944,"date":"2026-10-02T06:20:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T06:20:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/633944\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T06:20:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T06:20:26","slug":"lee-kun-hee-collection-expands-to-europe-with-opening-of-korea-exhibition-at-the-british-museum-samsung-newsroom-u-k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/633944\/","title":{"rendered":"Lee Kun-Hee Collection Expands to Europe With Opening of \u2018Korea\u2019 Exhibition at the British Museum \u2013 Samsung Newsroom U.K."},"content":{"rendered":"

London, UK \u2013 Oct. 1, 2026 \u2013 Samsung Electronics, in partnership with the British Museum, hosted a gala event on Sept. 30 at the museum to commemorate the opening of \u201cKorea\u201d exhibition, a major showcasing of works from the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee\u2019s renowned art collection.<\/p>\n

Following successful exhibitions in Washington D.C. and Chicago, it marks the European stop of the collection\u2019s international tour. It is also the first major special presentation of Korean art at the British Museum in more than 40 years. The exhibition runs from Oct. 1, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027, and is being held at the Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery.<\/p>\n

\u201cKorea,\u201d spanning over two millennia, connect the history of Korean art in a unified narrative to reveal how Korea\u2019s unique aesthetic values and artistic achievements have continued to be built upon and reinterpreted over many generations.<\/p>\n

The exhibition, drawn from over 23,000 artworks from the National Bequest of the Lee Kun-Hee Collection in 2021, is organised by the British Museum, the National Museum of Korea, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.<\/p>\n

\"\"Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee welcomes Princess Anne and other guests to the reception for the KH Collection touring exhibition.<\/p>\n

At the gala, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee reflected on the Lee family\u2019s multigenerational commitment to preserving Korea\u2019s cultural heritage and sharing it with audiences around the world. Members of the family, including Hong Ra-Hee, Director Emerita of the Leeum Museum of Art, Lee Boo-jin, President & CEO of Hotel Shilla, and Lee Seo-hyun, President of Samsung C&T, also attended the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor generations, my family has held a guiding principle that art and culture should be preserved and shared,\u201d Executive Chairman Lee said. \u201cI 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 \u2014 for its beauty, its depth and its resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the reception held before the gala dinner, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal graced the opening of the exhibition.<\/p>\n

\"\"Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee welcomes Princess Anne and other guests to the reception for the KH Collection touring exhibition.<\/p>\n

Among the 240 guests were the 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, former Culture Secretary Sir John Whittingdale, Trade Envoy to the Republic of Korea John Slinger, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Chair of the Republic of Korea All-Party Parliamentary Group Sir Ed Davey, and Dr. Ben Spencer, Vice Chair of the Republic of Korea All-Party Parliamentary Group.<\/p>\n

George Osborne, Chair of the British Museum, said, \u201cWe are thrilled here at the British Museum to be hosting this incredible exhibition. The Lee family\u2019s contribution to our shared cultural heritage helps us understand and interpret the past, so that we may understand the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maurice L\u00e9vy, Chairman Emeritus of Publicis Groupe, said that the exhibition is \u201cnot simply about objects from witnesses of a great past of Korea. They are evidence of a culture that has always valued craftsmanship, imagination, discipline, and excellence. Sharing those treasures with the world speaks volume about the values and the generosity of the Lee family. They understood, generation after generation, that looking forward does not mean forgetting where you come from.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kanishka Narayan, Minister for Artificial Intelligence, said, \u201cThe UK and Korea work closely on technology and innovation, but there is so much more to our relationship. Korea\u2019s art and culture are admired around the world, and this exhibition gives people in Britain a chance to explore its extraordinary artistic heritage. I\u2019m grateful to Samsung for bringing this remarkable collection to London and sharing it with audiences here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kim Heung-chong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the U.K., commented that \u201cit is particularly meaningful for the British Museum to open this exhibition of artworks showcasing two thousand years of Korean history, at a time when K-culture is enjoying global recognition,\u201d and thanked Executive Chairman Lee for making the exhibition possible.<\/p>\n

Business leaders attending the gala included those from BT Group, Vodafone, Sainsbury\u2019s, and Standard Chartered. From academia, representatives from the University of Oxford and Imperial College London were in attendance, while the cultural sector was represented by the British Museum, Tate Modern, the V&A, and Lisson Gallery, alongside contemporary artist Marc Quinn.<\/p>\n

Samsung\u2019s business partners from the semiconductor industry, including Christophe Fouquet, CEO of ASML, Kai Beckmann, CEO of Merck, Andreas Pecher, CEO of ZEISS, and Patrick Vandenameele, CEO of imec, were among other notable attendees.<\/p>\n

Chairman Lee Expresses Gratitude to Korean War Veterans<\/p>\n

During his remarks, Executive Chairman Lee took a special moment to honor the three Korean War veterans in attendance, including Mike Roe. He also thanked The Princess Royal, recognising her visit to Korea in July 2026 during which she honored the veterans. Reflecting on more than 140 years of ties between Korea and the U.K., he highlighted Samsung\u2019s 80-year business relationship with the country and emphasised that the U.K. has served as the hub for its European operations for over five decades.<\/p>\n

The London exhibition features 100 masterpieces, including 10 National Treasures and 13 Treasures of Korea, with more than twenty pieces being revealed for the first time internationally.<\/p>\n

Among the newly presented works are the National Treasures \u201cBronze Artifacts from Bisan-dong, Daegu\u201d and \u201cBronze Rattles,\u201d as well as \u201cCeladon Incense Burner with Girin-shaped Lid.\u201d Among the modern and contemporary works, Nam June Paik\u2019s \u201cBrahms,\u201d Lee Jungseop\u2019s \u201cBound People,\u201d and Park Rehyun\u2019s \u201cWoman\u201d will also be shown for the first time.<\/p>\n

The Lee family\u2019s commitment to preserving and sharing Korea\u2019s culture spans three generations. It began with Samsung founder Lee Byung-Chull, who built the foundation of the collection and believed that cultural heritage should be passed on to future generations.<\/p>\n

His son, the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee carried this legacy forward, building and preserving the collection over decades. He viewed cultural heritage not simply as something to be owned, but as something to be protected and preserved. Director Emerita Hong Ra-Hee also played a crucial role in expanding and developing the collection to encompass both ancient and modern works.<\/p>\n

The Lee Kun-Hee Collection, now a national cultural asset, is reaching audiences in major cities around the world from Washington D.C. to Chicago to London, enabling them to experience and appreciate the value and historical significance of Korean culture, thereby elevating Korea\u2019s global standing.<\/p>\n

The collection\u2019s global tour began in November 2025 at the Smithsonian\u2019s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington D.C., attracting about 80,000 visitors to become the museum\u2019s largest special exhibition in the past 10 years. The collection then traveled to the Art Institute of Chicago, where it drew approximately 115,000 visitors, highlighting the strong interest in the rich history of Korean arts and culture.<\/p>\n

Samsung remains committed to introducing Korean cultural heritage to the world while continuing to expand its global business network to support future growth and innovation.<\/p>\n

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