Korea – British Museum Exhibition

Discover 2,000 years of Korean creativity – through works spanning from around 300 BC to the present day.

Featuring outstanding examples of sculpture, painting and decorative arts over two millennia – up to the present day – the exhibition presents the most comprehensive chronological survey of Korean visual and material culture seen in Europe for over 40 years.

This major exhibition draws almost exclusively from the 23,000 works bequeathed in 2021 by the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee to the National Museum of Korea (NMK) and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA). It offers a dynamic journey through the art and material culture of the last 2,000 years. It also includes many National Treasures or Treasures, objects so designated for their exceptionally high quality and historical significance.

From ancient gold body ornaments and Buddhist icons to 12th- and 13th-century celadon-glazed stoneware, evocative ink landscapes and contemporary works responding to the turbulence of the 20th century, the objects on display tell a panoramic story of the history of Korea. Originally created for settings including royal tombs and palaces, Buddhist temples, scholars' studios, private homes and modern art spaces, most of the objects have never been seen in the UK before.

For conservation reasons, there will be a display rotation from 3 December, where some works will be substituted for others with similar significance in telling the story of Korean creativity.

1 October 2026 – 31 January 2027

Daily: 10.00–17.00 (Fridays 20.30)

The exhibition will be closed 1–2 December.

Room 35, The Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery

Tickets: Adults from £18, Members and under-16s free.

Find out more info or book your tickets on britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/korea

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