British Museum launches first major Korean art exhibition in 40 years

A landmark cultural event opened in London as the British Museum launched an ambitious exhibition exploring over two millennia of Korean art and history. Running from 01 October 2026 to 31 January 2027 in The Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery, the display represents the institution's first major showcase dedicated to Korea in over four decades.

The exhibition brings together rare historic national treasures, including bronze ritual implements dating to 300–100 BC, alongside modern and contemporary works that create a dynamic dialogue across centuries. Highlights include a 13th-century gourd-shaped celadon ewer, rare Buddhist paintings, and Jeong Seon’s masterwork landscape painting, Clearing after the Rain on Mount Inwang, which captures a recognizable Seoul landmark with profound emotional depth. Visitors can also view video art pioneered by Nam June Paik and a new museum acquisition by internationally acclaimed artist Do Ho Suh.

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According to Samsung Global Newsroom reporting, the exhibits are drawn from the recent donation of more than 23,000 items from the private collection of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee to South Korea's national institutions. Dr You Hong-June, Director of the National Museum of Korea, noted that the international tour achieved previous successes in Washington DC and Chicago before arriving in London with a selection featuring more National Treasures than the preceding venues.

British Museum Director Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE emphasized that Korean art has evolved through constant exchange, adaptation, and reinvention over two millennia. Sang-ah Kim, Curator of Korean collections, explained that the exhibition dives deep into the specific circumstances of object creation, featuring items ranging from a sutra inscribed by a deposed queen to sketches etched onto cigarette foil.

Simon Sung, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics Europe, stated that the partnership reflects the enduring commitment of Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee’s family to sharing Korea's rich cultural legacy worldwide. The initiative arrives as museums across the globe seek deeper ties with Korean institutions, addressing a historical backdrop where overseas galleries frequently faced staffing shortages, conservation gaps, and short-term project cycles.

According to The Korea Times, South Korea streamlined its support structure for international collections in 2022 by consolidating responsibilities under the National Museum of Korea to act as a central hub for loans, scholarly advice, and exhibition planning. This shift moves international programming away from isolated, one-off events toward a more durable infrastructure supported by organizations like the Korea Foundation.

Parallel international programming highlights the wider resurgence of traditional aesthetics reimagined through modern techniques. In Shanghai, the Korean Cultural Center hosted exhibitions exploring the cultural depth of Hanbok through contemporary painting, media art, and artificial intelligence applications, as detailed by 문화체육관광부 한국문화원.

As international institutions navigate structural hurdles such as funding priorities anchored in European art, programs like the Korea Foundation's annual "Curating Korea" workshop continue to train global museum staff. Chee Yeon-soo, an endowed curator at the Art Institute of Chicago, noted that rising global awareness is helping institutions build long-term capacity for the preservation and study of East Asian art.

Following this run, international museum networks plan to continue transitioning from short-term artifact loans to sustainable, collection-driven models supported by dedicated specialist curators and expanded conservation frameworks.