Samsung Group continues social contributions in honor of late chairman

Seosusang [Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration]

Samsung Electronics Co. Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee and other family members of Samsung Group are continuing the legacy of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee who emphasized social contributions ahead of the third anniversary of his passing on Wednesday.

The family’s charitable efforts, in particular, stand out in the areas of the restoration of cultural heritage and art.

In August 2022, the Hoam Museum of Art, operated by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, donated a unique animal figure known as Seosusang from its collection to the government for the restoration of a large square platform, Woldae, for the historic gate in Gwanghwamun in central Seoul.

Woldae is a platform built higher than the ground in palace buildings used for ceremonies and events where the monarch met with the public. Samsung Group’s donation and support enabled a complete restoration of the Gwanghwamun Woldae for the first time in a century.

The conglomerate’s commitment to contributing to the arts has also expanded overseas.

Samsung Group sponsored $2 million to operate a dedicated curator for Korean art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, U.S. The Korean art room there, in fact, was created in 1993 with the sponsorship of the former chairman, making it a special space that preserves his legacy.

The family members donated over 23,000 cultural artifacts and artworks, known as the Lee Kun-hee Collection, sharing them with the public at home.

Special exhibitions were held in various art museums and museums nationwide in 2021. Hong Ra-hee, former director of the Leeum Museum of Art and the widow of the late chairman, was delighted for the return at that time, referring to it as the late chairman’s “wish to return valuable cultural heritage to the public.”

The Lee Kun-hee Collection is also set to be exhibited overseas.

In 2025, more than 250 pieces from the collection will be exhibited at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in the U.S. In 2026, the collection will also be showcased at the Art Institute of Chicago in the U.S. and at the British Museum in the United Kingdom.

Samsung Group is also actively continuing the former chairman’s philosophy of human dignity by making significant contributions to the field of medicine.

The late chairman emphasized that “improved health and quality of life for humanity is the mission of a company.”

In line with such belief, the family has donated 1 trillion won ($740 million) from the chairman’s estate to support the prevention of infectious disease spread and the treatment of pediatric cancer and rare diseases.

In particular, a significant amount from the donation for preventing infectious disease spread was used to establish a specialized infectious disease hospital, providing support for the nation’s first specialized infectious disease hospital following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donation will also be used to support the construction of state-of-the-art research facilities for the National Institute of Infectious Diseases under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, as well as the research and development of vaccines and treatments.

In 2021, the family also donated 300 billion won for children with illness.