You Hong-june exits in disgrace as head of the National Museum of Korea

National Museum of Korea Director You Hong-june announced his resignation on Wednesday, bowing out in disgrace amid mounting backlash over a calligraphy work from his personal collection that was falsely attributed to an independence activist.

It was the first time in the National Museum of Korea's 81-year history that its chief resigned over a personal failing.

You's resignation comes 15 months after taking the helm of one of Korea's most prestigious cultural institutions.

“Today, I am announcing my intention to step down as the director of the National Museum of Korea,” You said in a statement on Wednesday.

“I want to make it clear once again that I take full responsibility for the criticism surrounding the controversy. I have concluded that stepping down is the right action to restore the museum’s damaged reputation.”

President Lee Jae Myung accepted You's resignation on Wednesday evening.

You is widely regarded as a celebrity in the field of Korean cultural heritage, particularly credited with bringing Korean history, art and architecture to a broader audience through his best-selling book series, “My Exploration of Cultural Heritage," which published its first volume in 1993.

The book instantly became a hit, becoming the first historical and cultural book to sell more than one million copies in Korea. The series, which eventually reached 20 volumes, even sparked a travel trend, with readers hitting the road to explore the sites detailed in the books.

You was also a favorite of liberal presidential administrations. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, he was appointed as the head of Cultural Heritage Administration, now known as the Korea Heritage Service, between 2004 and 2008 before resigning in the wake of an arson attack that severely damaged Seoul’s historic Sungnyemun Gate, a national treasure.

When President Lee took office in 2025, You was appointed director of the National Museum of Korea for a three-year term.

"I feel very sorry that You did such a thing," said Choi Jae-heon, director of the World Heritage Research Center at Konkuk University. "You's accomplishments in delivering Korea's culture and history in friendly language to the public should be credited, but this incident is quite disappointing. It should be used as an opportunity to overhaul the verification system of the National Museum of Korea and perhaps provide supportive measures where it is needed."

You's resignation comes at a time when the national museum is experiencing explosive growth, partially due to the success of Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" (2025). The museum saw 6.5 million visitors in 2025, ranking third worldwide in annual attendance, trailing only the Louvre and the Vatican Museums.

The museum drew 5.3 million visitors in the first eight months of this year alone.

"The museum has been so focused on external growth that it bypassed the most fundamental element a museum should hold, which is a code of ethics and legal framework," art critic Jung Joon-mo said.

"It's time to start from the beginning and set up a system befitting its third place ranking."

You has faced intense scrutiny since it was revealed that the misattributed calligraphy scroll at the center of the controversy came from his own collection. The scroll, exhibited at the museum as the work of independence activist Park Won-geun (1912-1950), was later found to have been written by pro-Japanese collaborator Park Jung-yang (1874-1959), who once went by the name Park Won-geun.

The work, titled “Ilban Sigugeun,” which translates to “Even a bowl of rice is a gift from the nation" was first obtained by You in 2019 at an online auction for 50,000 won ($37). During a National Assembly audit Monday, You said he was "certain as a Korean calligraphy expert" the work belonged to the independence activist and had "self-authenticated" it.

At his recommendation, the national museum displayed it at its special exhibition "The Korean Table: Food, Nature, and Life,” which opened July 1.

After a tip-off, the museum pulled the scroll from the exhibition, put it under a verification process and announced in September that the work had been falsely attributed.

You has made four apologies since the controversy arose, but it wasn't until he was questioned by the lawmakers for the parliamentary audit that he revealed the falsely attributed work was actually from his own collection.

"I was ashamed to have made such a huge mistake as an art historian," he said during the audit. "I hoped that [the controversy] would just pass by."

When asked by a lawmaker about intention to resign at the audit, You had not replied.

"Though it was a short 15 months, having the honor of safeguarding the value of our cultural heritage has been the greatest blessing and privilege of my life," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

"I will never forget the dedication of the museum staff, who worked alongside me day and night for the museum's growth."

Update, Oct. 21: More information on You's career and the impact he has had on the field added.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [[email protected]]