Samsung hosted a gala dinner ahead of the close of the first overseas touring exhibition of the "Lee Kun-hee (KH) Collection."
On the 28th (local time), Samsung held a gala dinner at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the successful conclusion of the Lee Kun-hee Collection exhibition.
The first exhibition of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee's donated works overseas tour, "Korea's Treasures: Collecting, Cherishing, Sharing," underway at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA), is being co-hosted by the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and is open to the public through Feb. 1.
About 250 people attended the Smithsonian gala dinner, including Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Minister of Commerce, figures from U.S. politics and government, executives from global corporations, and cultural leaders.
From Samsung, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong; Hong Ra-hee, honorary director of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art; Hotel Shilla President Lee Boo-jin; Samsung C&T President Lee Seo-hyun; Samsung Global Research President Kim Jae-yeol; and key Samsung presidents greeted attendees.
Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Honorary Director Hong Ra-hee introduced to the guests the pride in Korean culture emphasized by the late former chairman Lee Kun-hee and the philosophy of social contribution that underpinned the donation of artworks.
In his remarks, Lee said, "It was a great honor to present this exhibition in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States," and added, "I believe it will be an opportunity for the peoples of the United States and Korea to become closer to each other."
He continued, "I am pleased that we are able to host the heroes who fought in the Korean War here," and expressed his gratitude by saying, "Without the sacrifices of more than 36,000 U.S. veterans at the time, Korea would not have been able to prosper as it does today."
Lee also said, "Even amid hardships such as the Korean War, founding chairman Lee Byung-chul and former chairman Lee Kun-hee had a steadfast commitment to preserving Korea's cultural heritage," and added, "Honorary Director Hong Ra-hee dedicated herself to expanding and diversifying the scope of the collection, from ancient artifacts to modern and contemporary works."