British Museum's 'Korea' exhibition presents country's heritage beyond pop culture

A new exhibition opening at London's British ​Museum this week looks beyond Korea's pop culture ​to explore 2,000 years of the ‌country's ​artistic and cultural heritage.

Spanning from the early Iron Age to the present day, the exhibition brings together works dating back to around 400 BC alongside pieces ‌by contemporary Korean artists. "Most people, especially young people in the UK... know about Korea through its popular culture," curator Sang-ah Kim told Reuters. "They may not know Korea has a long history, over 2,000 years of creativity, resilience and ‌technical skill."

The exhibition features works from the collection of former Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee, who died ‌in 2020, and his family. Highlights include statuettes of bodhisattvas and a collection of sutras dating from the centuries following the introduction of Buddhism to Korea, as well as celebrated Goryeo celadon ceramics. Also on display is a piece from South Korean artist Yeesookyung's "Translated Vase" ⁠series, a ​sculpture assembled from shards discarded ⁠by potters, illustrating the beauty of imperfection.

Some exhibits may feel familiar to visitors whose introduction to Korea came through its contemporary cultural exports. "People, ⁠especially young audiences...may get a lovely surprise when they see the 'Tiger and Magpie' or 'Sun, Moon and Five Peaks' if they watched 'KPop ​Demon Hunters'," Kim said.

The Netflix animated film draws on traditional Korean imagery, with tiger and magpie ⁠paintings inspiring the characters Derpy the Tiger and Sussie the Magpie, and the fictional group HUNTR/X performing in front of a digital interpretation ⁠of ​a "Sun, Moon and Five Peaks" folding screen artwork. More recent works include Suh Do Ho's thread drawing "Self-Portrait," which reflects on ideas of home, migration and belonging, and pieces by Lee Jung-seop, who was separated from his ⁠family during the Korean War and etched images into the foil lining of cigarette packets when he could ⁠not afford paint or canvas.

Most ⁠of the display's works are on loan from the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. The exhibition will open on ‌Thursday, October ‌1, and will run until January 31, 2027.