National museum chief offers to resign over calligraphy misattribution

National Museum of Korea Director You Hong-june offered to resign Wednesday, taking responsibility for a controversy over a calligraphy work from his personal collection that the museum displayed as an independence activist’s writing before it was found to be the work of a pro-Japanese collaborator.

“The deep trust the public has placed in the National Museum of Korea and the value that the museum’s staff have built up collapsed in an instant because of my personal mistake,” You said in a statement. “All criticism is entirely my responsibility.”

“I have come to the conclusion that it is right for me to step down as director to restore the museum’s damaged reputation,” he added.

The calligraphy in question, titled "Ilban Sigugeun," was originally presented as the work of an independence activist from North Chungcheong, Park Won-geun (1912-1950), who fought against Japanese colonial rule (1910-45) as part of the museum’s special exhibition, “The Korean Table: Food, Nature, and Life,” which opened July 1 in Yongsan District, central Seoul. The work was later revealed to have been written by a pro-Japanese collaborator, Park Jung-yang, who used to go by the name Park Won-geun.

The piece belonged to You, who acquired it at a 2019 online auction for 50,000 won ($37). He reportedly authenticated the piece himself as a specialist in calligraphy history, effectively admitting that the piece never went through the verification process normally required for a third party's work entering the museum.

“I deeply apologize to the public, the families of patriotic independence fighters, and the museum’s staff, who were disappointed and hurt by this incident,” You said in the statement. “I hope the significance of ‘The Korean Table’ exhibition will not be diminished by this incident.

“Although it was a short period of 15 months, being able to do the honorable work of protecting the value of our cultural heritage was the greatest blessing and honor of my life."

BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]