Lee Jae-yong: 'Art and culture must be preserved and shared across generations'

Samsung holds gala dinner at British Museum for Lee Kun-hee Collection tour

Exhibition moves to Europe after US stops

Princess Anne attends reception to mark opening

About 240 guests including UK political figures and global executives gather

CEOs of ASML, Merck, Zeiss and imec among key semiconductor partners present

Three-generation philosophy of cultural preservation shared with the world

Samsung Electronics chairman also expresses gratitude to Korean War veterans

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong delivers a welcome address at the gala dinner for the Lee Kun-hee Collection touring exhibition at the British Museum on Wednesday (local time). [Samsung Electronics]

Korean cultural heritage donated to the state by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee has gone on public display in the United Kingdom, following earlier showings in the United States. The exhibition gives European audiences a glimpse of the essence of Korea's 5,000-year history while introducing the three-generation philosophy of cultural preservation and sharing that has defined the Samsung founding family.

Samsung held a gala dinner Wednesday (local time) at the British Museum in London to mark the opening of "Korea: 2,000 Years of Creativity," a touring overseas exhibition of items from the late chairman's donation.

Co-organized by the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the British Museum, the special exhibition is the largest Korean art show at the British Museum in 42 years, since 1984. It is the third stop on the international tour, following Washington, D.C., last year and Chicago this year, and presents 2,000 years of Korean art and culture to European audiences.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong attended the event alongside Hong Ra-hee, honorary director of Leeum Museum of Art; Lee Boo-jin, president of Hotel Shilla; and Lee Seo-hyun, president of Samsung C&T. Princess Anne of the British royal family attended a reception held before the gala dinner to celebrate the exhibition's opening. About 240 guests — including British political and government figures, executives from global companies and prominent figures from the cultural world — attended the gala dinner, reflecting strong interest in Korean cultural heritage and art.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong (far left) greets Princess Anne (second from right) and other guests at the reception for the Lee Kun-hee Collection touring exhibition at the British Museum on Wednesday (local time). [Samsung Electronics]

Political attendees included John Healey, secretary of state for defense; Kanika Narayan, minister for AI; former Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden; former trade minister Greg Hands; former culture secretary John Whittingdale; John Slinger, the UK's trade envoy to South Korea; Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats and chair of the Korea-UK Parliamentary Friendship Group; and Ben Spencer, vice chair of the Korea-UK Parliamentary Friendship Group.

From the business world, senior executives of BT Group, Vodafone, Sainsbury's and Standard Chartered attended, while representatives from Oxford University and Imperial College London joined from academia. Cultural figures included representatives from the British Museum, Tate Modern, the V&A and Lisson Gallery, as well as internationally renowned contemporary artist Marc Quinn.

Princess Anne of the British royal family (far right) tours the Lee Kun-hee Collection exhibition at the British Museum on Wednesday (local time). [Samsung Electronics]

In his remarks at the gala dinner, Lee expressed respect and gratitude to three Korean War veterans in attendance, including Mike Rowe.

Lee also thanked Princess Anne, who visited the UN Memorial Cemetery in Nam-gu, Busan, in July to pay tribute to those who fell in the Korean War, and highlighted the longstanding ties between South Korea and the United Kingdom.

The two countries have maintained a cooperative relationship for more than 140 years. Samsung, which first established ties with the UK more than 80 years ago, has built on that relationship over the past 50-plus years, making Britain a key hub for its European operations.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong (right) speaks with Korean War veteran Mike Rowe at the gala dinner for the Lee Kun-hee Collection touring exhibition at the British Museum on Wednesday (local time). [Samsung Electronics]

The gala, brought together through Korean cultural heritage, also served as a platform for private diplomacy — an opportunity for Lee to engage with senior executives from global companies and institutions and explore future business opportunities.

Among those present were Christophe Fouquet, CEO of ASML; Kai Beckmann, CEO of Merck; Andreas Pecher, CEO of Zeiss; and Patrick Vandenameele, CEO of imec — all key global partners collaborating with Samsung Electronics in the semiconductor sector.

Dutch company ASML works with Samsung Electronics on EUV lithography equipment, which is essential for advanced semiconductor production. Germany's Merck and Zeiss hold world-class expertise in semiconductor materials and optics, respectively. Belgium-based imec is a globally recognized research institution focused on next-generation semiconductor technology and continues to collaborate with Samsung Electronics in that field.

Lee has consistently pursued private diplomacy — meeting directly with top executives of major companies to discuss business issues and explore future opportunities — as uncertainty in the global business environment has grown.

At the event, Lee also spoke about the family's philosophy of preserving and sharing cultural heritage — a tradition passed down from Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul to the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

Lee said founder Lee Byung-chul began collecting art out of a conviction that cultural heritage must be nurtured and handed down to future generations, and that Lee Kun-hee carried on that mission throughout his life, collecting works not to own them but to preserve them. He added that Hong Ra-hee, honorary director of Leeum Museum of Art, dedicated herself to expanding and developing the collection across both ancient and contemporary works.

"Our family has upheld across generations the principle that art and culture must be preserved and shared," Lee said. "I hope this exhibition will serve as an opportunity to understand 2,000 years of Korean creativity and cultural heritage."

George Osborne, chair of the British Museum's board of trustees, said in his congratulatory remarks: "The dedication of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee and his family to our shared human cultural heritage will greatly help us understand the past and serve as a compass pointing toward the future."

The Lee Kun-hee Collection — now a national asset belonging to the Korean people — has traveled from Washington, D.C., to Chicago and now London, introducing the value and historical significance of Korean culture to audiences in major cities around the world.

The first overseas stop, which opened in Washington, D.C., last November, drew about 80,000 visitors — the highest attendance of any special exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art in the past decade. The Chicago exhibition, held from March through July this year, attracted about 115,000 visitors, more than 40 percent more than the Washington showing. Combined, the two US venues drew a total of about 195,000 visitors, reflecting strong interest in the long history and artistic value of Korean art.

Samsung said it plans to continue promoting the value and standing of Korean culture on the world stage while further expanding its global network to support future business growth.

gil@heraldcorp.com