The Seokguram grotto in Gyeongju, South Korea, offers a vivid testament to the country’s rich cultural heritage and enduring artistic traditions. Commissioned in 751 during the Silla period, the granite grotto features a central Buddha statue surrounded by intricately carved disciples within a domed chamber. Unlike the cave temples hewn from rock faces in China and India, Seokguram was constructed from precisely shaped granite blocks assembled to form an artificial cave, showcasing remarkable symmetry and craftsmanship. Access to the grotto’s interior is typically restricted, but a rare viewing arranged by monks from the nearby Bulguksa temple allowed a small group to experience its serene atmosphere firsthand.

Buddhism arrived in Korea from China in the 4th century, initially influencing the Korean peninsula during a period of competing kingdoms before becoming a central element of unified Korean culture by 676. This spiritual and cultural foundation later inspired various artistic achievements, including the creation of the great bronze bell of King Seongdeok, renowned for its unique decoration and acoustic qualities, as well as the development of celadon pottery during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Korean artisans refined Chinese techniques to produce stoneware with a distinctive green-blue glaze, despite limitations in clay quality and kiln technology.

A new exhibition at the British Museum, curated by Sang-ah Kim, explores this history alongside contemporary Korean culture, presenting historic treasures alongside modern works drawn largely from the extensive collection of the late Samsung chairman Lee Kun-Hee. His family donated approximately 23,000 pieces to South Korea’s National Museum and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) following his death in 2020.

Kim noted the evolution of Korea’s visibility on the global stage since the British Museum’s last Korea-focused exhibition in 1984, emphasizing the current goal of illuminating the origins of Korean creativity. She highlighted a cultural ethos characterized by diligent effort and a striving for perfection, a quality that spans traditional crafts to modern phenomena such as K-pop. The global success of groups like BTS under the management of Hybe Entertainment, alongside internationally acclaimed filmmakers including Bong Joon Ho and Park Chan-wook, underscores the robust vitality of contemporary Korean culture.

South Korea’s cultural influence extends further with popular Korean foods such as kimchi and Korean fried chicken gaining international popularity, and Korean artists, including Mire Lee and Do Ho Suh, presenting major exhibitions at prominent institutions like London’s Tate Modern. The ongoing fusion of historical legacy and modern innovation remains central to South Korea’s cultural identity, visible both in the nation’s capital, Seoul, and in the global marketplace.