Leeum's Hong Ra-hee receives Order of Civil Merit for cultural contributions
Hong Ra-hee, honorary director of the Leeum Museum of Art and mother of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, received the Dongbaek Medal, the third-highest grade of Korea's Order of Civil Merit, for her more than four decades of contributions to culture, health care and social welfare, the Samsung Foundation of Culture said on Monday. The award recognizes contributions to public welfare and…
Leeum Museum of Art's honorary director, Hong Ra-hee, has been honored with the Dongbaek Medal, the third-highest grade of Korea's Order of Civil Merit. This prestigious recognition comes for her more than four decades of contribution to culture, healthcare, and social welfare, as stated by the Samsung Foundation of Culture on Monday.
The award acknowledges Hong's significant role in public welfare and national development. This prestigious accolade follows her receipt of the Korean Red Cross' gold humanitarian medal in 2024, according to the foundation. Hong, the widow of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, has been a key figure in Korea's art world for years.
She earned her degree in applied arts from Seoul National University and became director of the Hoam Museum of Art in 1995, eventually leading the Leeum Museum of Art since its opening in 2004. After serving as director from 1995 to 2017, she returned as honorary director in 2025. The Samsung family's influence spans generations, from founder Lee Byung-chul's collection of Korean antiquities to Hong's role in curating its modern and contemporary collections. The Samsung Foundation of Culture oversees the Leeum Museum of Art.
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