Hong Ra-hee
Overview
Hong Ra-hee (洪羅喜, born April 15, 1945) is a South Korean art enthusiast and cultural figure. She is the wife of Lee Kun-hee, the former chairman of Samsung Group, and served as the inaugural director of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. She is widely known as a collector of both contemporary Korean art and ancient artworks, and has contributed to the development of the Korean art world by leading Samsung's cultural initiatives.
Main content
Early life and family
Hong Ra-hee was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1945. Her father was journalist and politician Hong Jin-ki. After the Korean War, her family returned to Korea and she grew up in Seoul. She graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in applied art, and entered the Samsung family by marrying Lee Kun-hee in 1967. They have three children: Lee Jae-yong, Lee Boo-jin, and Lee Seo-hyun.
Founding of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art and directorship
Hong Ra-hee began serving as a director of the Samsung Foundation of Art and Culture, the predecessor of the Samsung Museum of Art, in 1995. When Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art opened in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul in 2004, she was appointed its inaugural director and remained in office until 2017. Leeum is a complex museum composed of an ancient art museum, a contemporary art museum, and a children's education center. Hong Ra-hee played a leading role in the acquisition of contemporary artworks in particular. She organized exhibitions of Korean and international artists and built an international network, working to raise the stature of the Korean art world.
Art collection and restitution of cultural heritage
Hong Ra-hee has collected artworks both at home and abroad over a long period. A substantial part of the collection left by the late chairman Lee Kun-hee was reportedly purchased together with her. After Lee Kun-hee's death in 2021, his bereaved family donated approximately 23,000 works from his collection to the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and other institutions. Hong Ra-hee also paid special attention to bringing Korean cultural heritage back to the country, purchasing Korean Buddhist artworks and ceramics abroad and donating them to domestic institutions.
Controversy and legal issues
Hong Ra-hee was also caught up in controversies surrounding Samsung Group's management succession. In 2016, suspicions regarding art works were raised during the National Assembly's parliamentary investigation, and in 2017 she was investigated by prosecutors in connection with Lee Kun-hee's management of borrowed-name assets. In 2018, the Supreme Court confirmed a partial conviction on charges including tax evasion and sentenced her to a fine. In the art world, however, many continue to take a positive view of her cultural discernment and contributions.
Activities since retirement
Since stepping down as director of Leeum in 2017, Hong Ra-hee has continued to take part in efforts to recover cultural assets and to support art education. In the 2020s, she expanded scholarship projects supporting young Korean artists and is currently serving as adviser to the Samsung Foundation of Art and Culture.
Recent trends
As of 2024, Hong Ra-hee has appeared in public less frequently, but she still indirectly influences the exhibition direction of Leeum as an adviser to the Samsung Foundation of Art and Culture. In September 2024, media reports said that she attended the International Council of Museums (ICOM) general conference held in Seoul and took part in a welcoming ceremony as a cultural figure. Meanwhile, with the rapid growth of the Korean art market in recent years, exhibitions and research on the works donated by Lee Kun-hee have been actively under way, and major pieces from Hong Ra-hee's collection have been shown in traveling exhibitions at institutions such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Public interest in her collection continues. Although rumors about her health sometimes circulate, none have been officially confirmed.
Related topics
- [[Lee Kun-hee]]
- [[Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art]]
- [[Samsung Group]]
- [[Lee Jae-yong]]
- [[Korean art world]]