The Samsung Foundation of Culture announced the appointment of Hong Ra-hee, wife of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, as honorary director of Leeum Museum of Art to mark the opening of a special exhibition at the Ho-Am Art Museum. Titled Gyeomjae Jeong Seon, the exhibition celebrates the foundation’s 60th anniversary and spotlights Jeong Seon—the renowned Joseon-era master of real-view landscape painting known by his pen name Gyeomjae. The exhibition catalog opens with a foreword by Hong, who wrote, “Ho-Am Lee Byung-chul and Kansong Jeon Hyeong-pil, the founders of the two foundations, were committed to preserving Korea’s cultural heritage and dedicated themselves to the ideal of ‘cultural nationalism.’ The two institutions that were founded with a shared vision have come together to present this exhibition on Jeong Seon, which makes the event all the more meaningful.”
Hong attended the exhibition’s opening ceremony on Mar. 31 and later joined a private dinner, where attendees said she offered brief remarks, thanking guests for their support and stating, “I will work even harder.”
Kim Jong-kyu, honorary chairman of the Korean Museum Association, commented, “With Ho-Am and Kansong joining forces, the opening ceremony was filled with leading figures from the art world.” Another art community attendee noted, “An honorary directorship is usually viewed as stepping back from active involvement, but the atmosphere that day suggested otherwise. It felt like a full-fledged return. Inside the museum, people were saying, ‘She made a big decision,’ and ‘It’s reassuring to see her back.’” An art industry insider with close ties to the Samsung family added, “Hong’s return signals her deep commitment to both Leeum and Ho-Am. While assuming the full directorship again may have been too demanding, being named honorary director effectively marks her reentry into the public eye.”
A graduate of Seoul National University’s Department of Applied Arts, Hong has long been regarded as one of the most influential figures in the Korean art world and has consistently been listed among the world’s top 200 collectors by global art media outlet Artnet.
The renowned “Lee Kun-hee Collection,” donated to the nation by the late chairman’s family, was also a collaborative effort between the couple. An art expert familiar with the family’s collecting history noted, “Hong’s insight and guidance were deeply reflected in the collection—not only in Korean modern and contemporary works and Western art, but also in traditional pieces such as Chaekgado folding screens and Joseon-era wooden furniture.”
Hong stepped down from her position in 2017 following the political scandal that led to the imprisonment of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Since then, the directorship at Leeum has remained vacant, with her daughter, Lee Seo-hyun, overseeing the museum’s operations as head of the operations committee. After a 17-month closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, Leeum reopened in 2021 with a series of high-profile exhibitions, including a Kim Whanki retrospective at Ho-Am and solo exhibitions by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierre Huyghe at Leeum.
Hong’s return is widely expected to reinvigorate Samsung’s cultural initiatives. A scholar specializing in traditional Korean art noted, “While Leeum has remained active in contemporary art, the absence of a director left its traditional art programming relatively stagnant. Hong’s return is likely to reassert the museum’s influence in both traditional and contemporary Korean art—and could help breathe new life into the sluggish domestic art market. This special exhibition on Jeong Seon signals the beginning of that shift.”
