British Museum unveils major 'Korea' exhibition spanning 2,000 years of creativity

On 1 October 2026 the British Museum opened 'Korea' in the Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery, its first major exhibition devoted to Korean art and culture in over 40 years. Running until 31 January 2027, the show brings together 100 masterpieces drawn largely from the collection of late Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee, charting more than two millennia of creativity from a 13th-century gourd-shaped celadon ewer to a video work by pioneer Nam June Paik. The exhibition includes 10 National Treasures and 13 Treasures of Korea, with more than 20 artworks shown outside Korea for the first time. Samsung is the lead corporate partner, framing the show as a landmark moment for Korean soft power in Europe. Curators have called it a once-in-a-generation chance to encounter a sweep of Korean sculpture, painting and decorative arts in London. The opening was covered by Samsung's own newsroom, The Luxe Review, Sammy Fans, Blooloop and London-Korean cultural outlets, generating heavy readership from both Korean and UK audiences.