Detail: During Asian Art in London 2026, the British Museum will host a beautiful exhibition focusing on the story of Korea’s distinctive and vibrant arts – from 300 BC to today.

This expansive show draws exclusively from the 23,000 works donated by the late Samsung group Chairman Lee Kun-Hee to the National Museum of Korea (NMK) and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) in 2021. The collection, which includes many objects designated as National Treasures, spans more than two millennia and is renowned for its exceptionally high quality.

Featuring standout examples of sculpture, painting and decorative arts from the Bronze Age through to the 20th century, the exhibition will present the most comprehensive chronological span of Korean visual and material culture seen in Europe since Treasures from Korea: Art Through 5000 Years, held at the British Museum in 1984.

From ancient goldware to ritual Buddhist instruments, and from celadon-glazed 13th-century stoneware to contemporary works responding to the turbulence of the 20th century, the objects on display tell a truly panoramic story of the history of Korea. Originally created for a range of settings including royal palaces, Buddhist temples, Confucian academies, scholars’ studios, vibrant spaces of daily life and modern art spaces, most of the objects have never been seen in the UK before.