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Politics, business and culture collide at Smithsonian's Samsung art gala

Published: 29 Jan. 2026, 17:50 Updated: 29 Jan. 2026, 19:37

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong delivers welcoming remarks at the “Lee Kun-hee Collection” gala dinner held on Jan. 28 at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in Washington. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

U.S. political leaders, global business executives and members of the Samsung founding family gathered on Wednesday at the Smithsonian Institution to mark an overseas exhibition of Korean art built around works donated by the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

‘A night of K-art’ draws U.S. political and business leaders

Samsung hosted a gala dinner at the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building to celebrate the opening of “Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared,” a traveling exhibition organized by the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA).

It is the first overseas traveling exhibition planned around the late chairman's collection of more than 23,000 works. Attendance has already surpassed 61,000, and organizers estimate it will top 65,000 by the time the show closes — an unusually strong performance that more than doubles typical visitor levels.

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong attended with family members, including his mother Hong Ra-hee, former honorary director of the Leeum Museum of Art; Lee Boo-jin, president of Hotel Shilla; and Lee Seo-hyun, president of Samsung C&T.

Within business circles, the event is viewed as Samsung’s largest outward-facing gathering in 33 years since the company’s 1993 “Frankfurt Declaration,” where late former Chairman Lee Kun-hee called for a total revamp of Samsung Electronics business methods and strategy.

Hong Ra-hee, center, honorary director of the Leeum Museum of Art, enters the “Lee Kun-hee Collection” gala venue on Jan. 28 at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in Washington, accompanied by her son-in-law Kim Jae-yeol, president of Samsung Global Research. [YONHAP]

Around 270 guests attended, including U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios and Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha, as well as heads of major global firms.

“This art exhibit is a powerful reminder that the enduring U.S.–Republic of Korea alliance is built not only on economic ties, but through the stories and shared values that connect us, Samsung’s investment in America represents confidence in our workers and a commitment to advancing opportunity and prosperity for both nations,” said Republican Sen. Tim Scott, a three-term lawmaker and the first Black senator elected from the U.S. South since the Civil War.

“The connections between the United States and Korea run deep, and they’ll continue to grow stronger thanks to collaboration with and investment from companies like Samsung,” said Democratic Sen. Andy Kim, the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate. “As the first Korean American to serve in the U.S. Senate, I’m excited that my two boys can see this incredible exhibit of Korean heritage, and for Americans from across the country to visit the collection that the Lee family has brought here.”

Lee Boo-jin, president of Hotel Shilla, right, enters the “Lee Kun-hee Collection” gala venue with her son, center, on Jan. 28 at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in Washington. [YONHAP]

Also in attendance were Euisun Chung, executive chair of Hyundai Motor Group; Wendell Weeks, chairman and CEO of Corning; Applied Materials CEO Gary Dickerson; and Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang.

Weeks, whose company has worked with Samsung since the era of the late Lee Byung-chull, Samsung’s founder, praised the family’s cultural contribution.

“The Lee family’s contributions extend far beyond Samsung and Korea,” Weeks said, calling the exhibition a reflection of the family’s passion for creation. “Their visionary leadership has shaped industries, transformed lives, and built enduring bridges between nations and generations. This exhibition embodies the passion for creation of the Lee family, which for generations has made a positive impact on the entire globe.”

A person familiar with the event described it as a stage where “the global network Chairman Lee Jae-yong has built over the years” converged, adding that strengthened ties with U.S. political and business leaders could help ease uncertainty for Samsung and the broader Korean economy.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, right, meets and talks with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, left, at the gala dinner held on Jan. 28 at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in Washington. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung family’s philosophy on cultural preservation in focus

Lee’s main message at the gala was not about business but about culture — underscoring the Samsung family’s longstanding commitment to preserving cultural heritage while also noting the significance of the Korea-U.S. alliance.

“Memory and history are important to Koreans. That is part of why this exhibit means so much to me,” Executive Chairman Lee said. “Despite the hardships of colonial rule and the Korean War, my father and grandfather believed it was their duty to safeguard the future of our culture. It was a tremendous honor to share this collection with you. I believe it’s our small contribution to bringing the American and Korean people closer together.”

Lee went on to express gratitude, saying Korea could not have prospered as it has today without the sacrifices of more than 36,000 U.S. troops who died in the Korean War. Four Korean War veterans attended the event, including Rudy B. Mickens Sr.

Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, meets and talks with a Korean War veteran at the gala dinner held on Jan. 28 at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in Washington. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

The exhibition features a carefully selected group of works from the late chairman’s donation to the state. A total of 330 pieces are on display, including cultural heritage items held by the National Museum of Korea — among them seven National Treasures and 15 Treasures — as well as modern and contemporary works from the MMCA collection by artists such as Park Soo Keun, Kim Whanki and Lee Ungno.

The show is also being viewed as the first large-scale overseas presentation of Korean art since “Five Thousand Years of Korean Art,” a major exhibition organized under government leadership in the 1980s.

Momentum has continued as well. The overseas tour was made possible in part by the success of the earlier nationwide tour of the Lee Kun-hee Collection in Korea, which drew large crowds and helped fuel growth in the Korean art market while boosting international interest in Korean art, analysts say.

Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, meets and talks with a Korean War veteran at the gala dinner held on Jan. 28 at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in Washington. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Docent tours have been popular, and merchandise such as moon jar souvenirs — based on the globular white porcelain jars of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) — and lamps themed after the 1751 painting "Inwang Jesaekdo" sold out early.

The art world has also expressed optimism that K-art, propelled by the Lee Kun-hee Collection, could inject fresh energy into the global art market, estimated at $57.5 billion.

“The Lee Kun-hee Collection reflects an intent, from its roots, to prevent national treasures from leaving the country,” said Lee Soo-yeon, a curator at the MMCA who took part in planning the exhibition. “The collection is an example of corporate cultural contributions evolving beyond sponsorship into the preservation and wider sharing of cultural assets, as Korea’s modern and contemporary art has been systematized as part of the nation’s cultural heritage.”

Visitors view artworks at the Lee Kun-hee Collection overseas traveling exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM SU-MIN [[email protected]]