Korea exhibition at the British Museum opens with 2,000 years of art

The Korea exhibition at the British Museum opens today, 1 October. It tells the story of Korean art from about 300 BC to the present day. It runs in the Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery until 31 January 2027.

What the Korea exhibition shows

The show moves from ancient to contemporary. It begins with bronze ritual implements made between 300 and 100 BC. It then passes through some of Korea’s finest ceramics.

Goryeo celadon, with its soft blue-green glaze, is a highlight. A gourd-shaped celadon ewer from the 13th century is among the objects. Joseon porcelain follows. The museum says it reflects Confucian ideals of restraint and order.

Painting, belief and new media

Painting gets a strong place. Jeong Seon’s landscape Clearing after the Rain on Mount Inwang is a centrepiece. Rare Buddhist paintings add a devotional note. The exhibition shows how belief and craft shaped each other across centuries.

Then it jumps forward. A video work by Nam June Paik sits beside a piece by Do Ho Suh, a new acquisition for the museum. The message is clear. Korean creativity did not stop with the old masters.

The collection behind it

Many works come from the collection of Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee. Several carry National Treasure designations from the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Sang-ah Kim, the museum’s curator of Korean collections, leads the project.

Why does it matter? Britain has long had Chinese and Japanese displays that draw crowds. Korea has had far less space. This show changes that balance for a few months. It also arrives as Korean film, music and food enjoy huge global audiences.

Tickets cost £18, according to Londonist’s October guide. If you like exhibitions with a sharp curatorial hand, our earlier review of the Turner Prize 2026 show at MIMA is a good companion read.

Fact basis: British Museum press release for “Korea”; Londonist, Top exhibitions in London, October 2026; The Korea Herald. Details such as ticket price may change; check the museum before visiting.