The British Museum is preparing to launch a survey of Korean art and culture, featuring rare national treasures that have seldom been seen outside of East Asia.
The exhibition, titled Korea: 2,000 years of creativity, will open to the public on 1 October 2026. It marks a significant moment for the London venue, drawing extensively from the vast collection of 23,000 works bequeathed by the late Samsung Chairman, Lee Kun-Hee, in 2021.
Spanning two millennia, the show tracks the peninsula’s history from ancient dynasties through to the modern era. Curators have selected items that highlight the transition from what has been described as a “nirvana” of traditional art and Buddhist influence to the rapid industrial and cultural shifts of the 20th century.
Booking and visitor information
The exhibition is scheduled to run until 31 January 2027. However, visitors planning a trip in late autumn should note a scheduled temporary closure. The museum has confirmed the gallery will be closed on 1 and 2 December 2026 to allow for a “rotation” of light-sensitive works, a common conservation practice for delicate paper and silk items.
Standard adult tickets for the exhibition are priced at £16. Entry is free for Museum Members and children under the age of 16, though all visitors are required to secure a timed entry slot in advance via the British Museum website.
The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, with extended hours until 20:30 on Friday evenings.
Context of the collection
The arrival of the Lee Kun-Hee items is considered a landmark event for the museum. The donation, which was made to the National Museum of Korea before being toured internationally, includes several items designated as National Treasures of Korea.
The exhibition joins a busy winter schedule at the Bloomsbury site. It arrives alongside the museum’s display of the Bayeux Tapestry, which opened on 10 September 2026. While the tapestry loan has already seen many dates sell out for the remainder of the year, tickets for the Korea survey currently remains available for the opening weeks.
The display aims to provide a comprehensive look at Korean identity, moving beyond the well-known contemporary “K-wave” of pop culture to explore the deeper historical roots of the nation’s artistic output.
