Korea Exhibition at The British Museum
The British Museum’s new major exhibition, Korea, is showcasing objects never been seen in the UK before.
2,000 Years of Korean Creativity
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Korean culture has become widely popular in the UK during the past years.
K-pop, K-beauty, Korean BBQ, Korean restaurants, grocery stores and Korean photo booths have gained immense popularity in the past ten years and the trend shows no sign of slowing down.
Films and TV shows, like KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game have also attracted a lot of new fans from all age groups.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
This October, The British Museum opened a stunning new exhibition that explores Korean culture, art and creativity through artworks from around 300 BC to the present day.
Rare Objects Never Been Seen in the UK Before
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The exhibition draws almost entirely from the 23,000 objects and artworks donated by the late Samsung chairman, Lee Kun-Hee to the National Museum of Korea, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The exhibition offers an incredible journey through art and culture from around 300 BC to the present day, showcasing items, such as antient gold ornaments, Buddhist icons from the 12th and 13th centuries, paintings, ceramics, and more!
Derpy the Tiger from KPop Demon Hunters
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Often times, our deeper interest to another culture starts with pop culture, film or music.
You probably remember Derpy, the cute, mischievous tiger who delivered messages between Rumi and Jinu in the popular animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.
The character of the clumsy Derpy stole our hearts, but who is he and why was he accompanied with a six-eyed magpie?
Photo: Urban Adventurer
In other cultures, tigers are symbols of strength, power and fear, but in Korean culture, tigers are depicted very differently.
They often look confused, clumsy and sometimes oddly human. They also often appear with the company of a magpie.
Why is that?
Most of the Korean peninsula is covered with mountains and for a very long time, the people living there lived close to the tigers.
People avoided crossing the mountains alone. They travelled in groups in fear of the tigers lurking in the shadows.
Over time, people began to see tigers more than predators. They started seeing them as mysterious creatures, spiritual guardians that stand between the human world and the unseen world.
According to Korean mythology, tigers and bears wanted to become humans, so Hwanung – a heavenly figure – gave them a difficult task. They had to live in a dark cave for a long period of time while eating garlic and mugwort.
The tiger couldn’t endure the trial and ran away, but the bear passed the test and transformed into a woman. That’s why tigers are depicted oddly human in Korean artworks: they’re powerful and frightening, but also impatient and strangely human.
Also, tigers were often painted with big bulging eyes and imbalanced bodies in a humorous, exaggerated way in folk paintings.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
As tigers represented power and fear, people searched for traces of human weakness and awkwardness they could make fun of. Tigers often symbolised powerful aristocrats and drawing them in humorous, exaggerated way, people were able to express their feelings about authority in a quiet, satirical way.
Why is a magpie always besides a tiger?
In Korean culture, magpie meant good news or luck.
The strange pair, the tiger and the magpie, represent power and authority and humour and human warmth together, and also good news and joy.
Make sure, you don’t miss the painting (from the 18th century) and the sculpture (from the 17th – 18thcenturies) while visiting the exhibition.
Audio Guide with Actor Lee Byung-hun and Actress Yerin Ha
Screenshot taken from The British Museum’s website
Make the most out of your visit!
Download The British Museum’s app and join Squid Game actor Lee Byung-hun (the Frontman) and Bridgerton actress Yerin Ha (Sophie Bridgerton) for a special guided tour.
Listen to them introducing the exhibition highlights and the fascinating stories behind those remarkable objects.
And that’s not all!
For just £4, you can have access to a 45-minute expert commentary, images and exclusive videos you can enjoy, before, during or after your visit.
Shop
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Make sure you visit the shop before leaving because there are lots of beautiful exhibition-related gifts to find.
Books, coasters, keyrings, tote bags, exclusive jewellery, and more. Perfect gifts and stocking fillers for the Korea enthusiast in your life.
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There’s also a separate section dedicated to kids. Here, you’ll find all things KPop Demon Hunters from books to stationery to eye masks and more.
Practical Info
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Address
The British Museum | Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG
(The Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery | Room 35. If you use the main entrance, you can’t miss it)
Opening Times
1st October – 31st January 2027
Open daily between 10am – 5pm (Fridays 8:30pm)
NOTE: The exhibition is CLOSED on the 1st & 2nd December!
Tickets
Book your ticket on The British Museum’s official website.
Standard tickets start from £18
Ready for your next adventure? There is a Korean restaurant in London where you can see original signatures from K-pop idols and K-Drama stars. Think BTS, Ateez, IVE and more. Make sure you visit Little Korea in Chinatown.