Leeum's Hong Ra-hee receives Order of Civil Merit for cultural contributions

Hong Ra-hee, honorary director of the Leeum Museum of Art, received the Dongbaek Medal on Monday for more than four decades of contributions to culture, health care and social welfare. The third-highest grade of Korea’s Order of Civil Merit recognizes contributions to public welfare and national development. Hong led the Hoam Museum of Art from 1995 and Leeum from its opening in 2004, later returning as honorary director in 2025. In 2021, she and other family members donated about 23,000 artworks from Lee Kun-hee’s collection to public institutions.

Hong received the Korean Red Cross’ gold humanitarian medal in 2024.

She graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in applied arts.

Hong stepped down from Leeum in 2017 before returning as honorary director in 2025.

The Samsung Foundation of Culture operates the Hoam Museum of Art and Leeum Museum of Art.

The family committed 1 trillion won from Lee Kun-hee’s estate to health care, including 300 billion won for childhood cancer and rare diseases and 700 billion won for infectious disease infrastructure.

Published Oct 26, 2026 3:36 pm KST

Updated Oct 26, 2026 3:55 pm KST

Hong Ra-hee, right, honorary director of the Leeum Museum of Art and this year's recipient of the Dongbaek Medal, the third-highest grade of Korea's Civil Merit Order, and Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Hyung-hoon pose during an award ceremony in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

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 national development. The honor follows Hong's receipt of the Korean Red Cross’ gold humanitarian medal in 2024, according to the foundation.

Hong, the widow of late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, has long been an influential figure in Korea’s art world.

A graduate of Seoul National University with a degree in applied arts, she became director of the Hoam Museum of Art in 1995 and took the helm of Leeum when it opened in 2004. She stepped down in 2017 and 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 developing its modern and contemporary holdings. The Samsung Foundation of Culture operates both museums.

In 2021, Hong and other family members donated about 23,000 artworks from Lee Kun-hee’s collection to public institutions, including the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the foundation said.

The donated collection has been featured in an international touring exhibition that began in November 2025, with stops at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., the Art Institute of Chicago and the British Museum in London.

The family also committed 1 trillion won ($756 million) from his estate to health care: 300 billion won for childhood cancer and rare diseases and 700 billion won for infectious disease infrastructure.

李恩美术馆名誉馆长洪罗熙周一荣获冬柏勋章，以表彰她四十多年来对文化、医疗和社会福利事业的贡献。冬柏勋章是韩国公民功勋勋章的第三级，旨在表彰对公共福利和国家发展做出杰出贡献的人士。洪罗熙自1995年起担任湖岩美术馆馆长，并于2004年李恩美术馆开馆后担任馆长，后于2025年重返李恩美术馆担任名誉馆长。2021年，她与其他家庭成员将李健熙先生收藏的约23000件艺术品捐赠给了公共机构。

洪于 2024 年获得韩国红十字会金质人道主义奖章。

她毕业于首尔大学，获得应用艺术学位。

洪于 2017 年卸任 Leeum 的职务，并于 2025 年回归担任名誉董事。

三星文化基金会运营着湖岩美术馆和利姆美术馆。

李健熙家族承诺从其遗产中拿出 1 万亿韩元用于医疗保健，其中包括 3000 亿韩元用于儿童癌症和罕见病，7000 亿韩元用于传染病基础设施。

发布于2026年10月26日下午3:36（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月26日下午3:55（韩国标准时间）

周一，在首尔举行的颁奖典礼上，李恩美术馆名誉馆长、韩国公民功勋勋章（东柏勋章）获得者洪罗熙（右）与保健福祉部第二副部长李亨勋合影。（韩联社）

三星文化基金会周一表示，李恩美术馆名誉馆长、三星电子会长李在镕的母亲洪罗熙因其四十多年来对文化、医疗保健和社会福利的贡献，荣获韩国公民功勋勋章第三级——冬柏勋章。

该奖项旨在表彰对公共福利和国家发展做出贡献的人士。据基金会称，洪女士此前已于2024年获得韩国红十字会颁发的金质人道主义奖章。

洪尚秀是已故三星集团董事长李健熙的遗孀，长期以来一直是韩国艺术界的一位有影响力的人物。

她毕业于首尔国立大学应用艺术专业，1995年成为湖岩美术馆馆长，2004年Leeum美术馆开馆时担任馆长。2017年卸任，2025年回归担任名誉馆长。

三星家族的影响力跨越数代，从创始人李秉喆收藏的韩国古董到洪尚秀在发展三星现代及当代艺术藏品中所发挥的作用，都体现了这一点。三星文化基金会负责运营这两座博物馆。

基金会表示，2021年，洪和其他家庭成员将李健熙收藏的约23000件艺术品捐赠给了包括韩国国立中央博物馆和国立现代美术馆在内的公共机构。

捐赠的藏品已于 2025 年 11 月开始进行国际巡回展览，先后在华盛顿特区的史密森尼国家亚洲艺术博物馆、芝加哥艺术学院和伦敦的大英博物馆展出。

该家族还承诺从他的遗产中拿出 1 万亿韩元（7.56 亿美元）用于医疗保健：3000 亿韩元用于儿童癌症和罕见病，7000 亿韩元用于传染病基础设施。