The Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art opened, after several years of preparation, as an international art and cultural center for the display of both Korean art and world art.

The Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art has a Museum 1 and a Museum 2. Museum 1 houses Korean traditional art and Museum 2 exhibits works of art by Korean and international contemporary artists. Furthermore, these museums and the Samsung Child Education and Culture Center, which contributes to the education of future leaders, compose the composite complex. The buildings of The Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art were designed by the internationally renowned architects Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel, and Rem Koolhaas to combine the past, present, and future of art and culture, and are in themselves remarkable artistic experiences.

The Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art is motivated towards developing Seoul as a city of international culture. It cultivates new cultural geographical structures that connect Seoul’s main cultural facilities, along with the National Museum of Korea and the National Theater. Welcoming the emerging global age, Leeum seeks to be a center of Asian art. It is a museum of new ideas, and bridges the East and the West, with its eye on the future.

Core Activities

1. Collection: Collection works of art which transcend time and location, and collecting high value contemporary artworks


2. Conservation: Preserving world treasures maintaining artworks to share them for generations to come


3. Exhibition: Presenting traditional/contemporary art exhibitions of the highest level and providing opportunities to experience the past and present, trends and eccentricity, sentiment and critical intelligence of art.