Lee Jae-yong Expands Global Network for Culture and Semiconductors in London, Debuting KH Collection in Europe
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Samsung held a gala dinner in London to mark the opening of the third overseas touring exhibition of the KH Collection.
The event was held to coincide with the opening of the British Museum's special exhibition, "Korea: 2,000 Years of Creativity," on September 30 (local time).
The gala dinner was attended by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hong Ra-hee, honorary chair of the Leeum Museum of Art, Hotel Shilla President Lee Boo-jin, and Samsung C&T President Lee Seo-hyun.
Samsung held a gala dinner in London, England, to mark the opening of the KH Collection's third overseas touring exhibition. Samsung announced on the 1st that it had hosted the gala dinner. The event was held to coincide with the opening of the special exhibition "Korea: 2,000 Years of Creativity" at the British Museum in London on September 30 (local time).
The special exhibition was jointly curated by the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and the British Museum. The overseas touring exhibition followed Washington, D.C., in the U.S. last year and Chicago earlier this year before arriving in London. This is the British Museum's first large-scale special exhibition on Korean art in 42 years, since 1984.
The exhibition is designed to introduce European audiences to 2,000 years of Korean art and culture. Through this occasion, Samsung engaged with global figures through Korea's cultural heritage.
The gala dinner was attended by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hong Ra-hee, honorary chair of the Leeum Museum of Art, Hotel Shilla President Lee Boo-jin, and Samsung C&T President Lee Seo-hyun.
As part of the events celebrating the opening of the exhibition, a reception was held before the gala dinner. Princess Anne attended and congratulated the opening of the exhibition.
About 240 people attended the event, including key figures from British politics, government, global business, academia, and the cultural community. Those from the political sphere included Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey, AI Minister Kanishka Narayan, former Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, former Trade Minister Greg Hands, former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale, British Trade Envoy to Korea John Slinger, Liberal Democrat leader and Korea-UK Parliamentary Friendship Association chair Ed Davey, and Korea-UK Parliamentary Friendship Association vice chair Ben Spencer.
Attendees from the business world included executives from BT Group, Vodafone, Sainsbury's, and Standard Chartered. Academic attendees included representatives from the University of Oxford and Imperial College London, while the cultural sphere was represented by officials from the British Museum, Tate Modern, the V&A Museum, and the Lisson Gallery, as well as contemporary artist Marc Quinn.
Top executives from overseas companies and research institutions working with Samsung Electronics in semiconductors also attended in large numbers. The attendees included Christoph Fouquet, ASML CEO; Kai Beckmann, Merck CEO; Andreas Pecher, ZEISS CEO; and Patrick Vandenameele, imec CEO.
These institutions are each connected to Samsung Electronics in different areas. ASML and Samsung Electronics collaborate in EUV lithography equipment, which is essential for advanced semiconductor production. Merck has technological strengths in semiconductor materials, and ZEISS has technological strengths in optics.
imec and Samsung Electronics continue to cooperate. The focus of their cooperation is research into next-generation semiconductor technologies, and their area of collaboration is future semiconductor technology.
Samsung said the event served as a venue for key executives from global companies and institutions to interact through Korea's cultural heritage, as well as a place for public diplomacy to expand points of contact for future business. Chairman Lee Jae-yong expressed gratitude to Korean War veterans and also emphasized the 140-year relationship between Korea and the U.K.
In his remarks at the gala dinner, Chairman Lee Jae-yong expressed respect and gratitude to three Korean War veterans. One of the three veterans was Mike Rowe. Lee also expressed gratitude to Princess Anne. In July, Princess Anne visited the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Nam-gu, Busan, Korea, to pay tribute to the sacrifice of Korean War veterans.
Chairman Lee Jae-yong also emphasized the long-standing ties between Korea and the U.K. Korea and the U.K. have maintained a cooperative relationship for more than 140 years. Samsung first established ties with the U.K. more than 80 years ago and has used the country as a key base for its European business for more than 50 years.
Amid growing uncertainty in the global business environment, Chairman Lee Jae-yong continues to meet directly with top corporate executives. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss business issues and explore future opportunities. Lee Jae-yong's moves are taking on the character of public diplomacy.
Along with that, the philosophy of preserving cultural heritage has been passed down through three generations. The essence of this preservation philosophy lies in conserving and sharing art and culture.
Chairman Lee Jae-yong introduced his family's philosophy of preserving and sharing cultural heritage, explaining that the lineage of that philosophy extends from founder Lee Byung-chull to the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee. He said founder Lee Byung-chull began collecting art based on his belief that cultural heritage should be nurtured and passed on to future generations.
He added that the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee carried on his predecessor's collection, spending his life collecting works and placing preservation above ownership. He also explained that Hong Ra-hee, honorary chair of the Leeum Museum of Art, has devoted herself to the expansion and development of a collection spanning both ancient and contemporary works.
Chairman Lee Jae-yong said the family has maintained the principle of preserving and sharing art and culture across generations. He also said he hoped the exhibition would serve as an opportunity to understand Korea's 2,000 years of creativity and cultural heritage.
George Osborne, chair of the British Museum's board, said the dedication of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee and his family is contributing to the shared cultural heritage of humanity. He said this dedication will help people understand the past and serve as a compass for looking to the future.
On the exhibition, major figures from abroad emphasized Korea's history, cultural value, and potential for global expansion. Maurice Levy, honorary chairman of Publicis Groupe, said the works in the exhibition reflect Korea's history and embody a culture that has long valued craftsmanship, imagination, and excellence.
Kanishka Narayan, the U.K. AI Minister, said that as Korean art and culture are gaining worldwide popularity, the exhibition gives British citizens an opportunity to encounter Korea's artistic heritage. Kim Heung-jong, ambassador of Korea to the U.K., highlighted the significance of works representing 2,000 years of Korean history being exhibited in the U.K. at a time when K-culture is drawing global attention.
Kim Heung-jong, ambassador of Korea to the U.K., also paid tribute to the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee's foresight and vision and expressed gratitude to Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Samsung for supporting the exhibition. The Lee Kun-hee Collection is expanding its touring venues from the U.S. to Europe.
The first overseas touring exhibition began in Washington, D.C., in the U.S. in November last year. The exhibition drew about 80,000 visitors and set the record for the most visitors among special exhibitions at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art over the past 10 years.
The total number of visitors in Washington and Chicago was 195,000. Against this backdrop, the exhibition is scheduled to introduce Korea's cultural heritage in London.
The earlier Chicago exhibition ran from March to July this year and drew about 115,000 visitors. That was more than a 40% increase from Washington, D.C.
The combined attendance for the Lee Kun-hee Collection in Washington, D.C., and Chicago was tallied at 195,000. Based on the results of the U.S. exhibitions, Samsung presented the purpose of the London exhibition.
Through the London exhibition, Samsung plans to promote the long history and cultural heritage value of Korean art in Europe and sustain global interest in Korean culture through the London show. It also plans to continue activities promoting the value and stature of Korean culture to the world, while further expanding its global network for future business growth.
Source: TECHWORLD · Park Gyu-chan
Original: https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=407639
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Source: TECHWORLD
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