Yu Hong-jun announces plans to resign after 15 months in office... takes responsibility for 'self-submission of pro-Japanese collaborator's handwriting' controversy

[Financial News] Yu Hong-jun, Director of the National Museum of Korea, announced his intention to resign on the 21st, taking responsibility for mistakenly exhibiting calligraphy by a pro-Japanese collaborator from his collection as a patriot's calligraphy. This comes 15 months after he took office last July and just two days after he offered a public apology during a parliamentary audit.
Director Yu stated in a statement distributed by the museum on this day, "All the criticism so far is entirely my responsibility," adding, "I have come to the conclusion that it is right for me to step down from the position of director in order to restore the museum's tarnished reputation."
He acknowledged that the public's trust and the values ​​built by the staff had collapsed in an instant due to his mistake, and apologized to the public, the bereaved families of patriots, and the museum staff. Regarding the special exhibition "The Korean Table: Food, Nature, and Life," which the researchers had prepared for a long time, he expressed his hope that "the significance of the special exhibition will not be tarnished by this incident."
He went on to say that being able to protect the value of cultural heritage was "the greatest blessing and honor of my life," expressing gratitude for the hard work of the staff and asking for continued support for the museum.
The work in question is 'Ilban Siguk-eun,' which was exhibited at this special exhibition that opened on July 1. Yumuk refers to calligraphy left behind by the deceased during their lifetime, and the phrase written on the work means "Even a single bowl of rice is the grace of the nation." The museum initially introduced the author as the patriot Park Won-geun (1912–1950).
However, the possibility was raised that 'Park Won-geun' written on the artwork is another name for Park Jung-yang (1874–1959), a pro-Japanese collaborator and anti-nationalist. The museum removed the artwork on August 10 and issued an apology two days later. Subsequently, following expert verification, the museum released investigation results on the 7th of last month stating that the handwriting was that of Park Jung-yang.
The controversy intensified following the failure of verification, as it was belatedly revealed that Director Yu himself was the owner of the artwork and the person who recommended it for exhibition. Director Yu purchased the calligraphy for 50,000 won at an online auction in 2019 and recommended its inclusion about two months before the exhibition opened. The museum did not disclose the fact that the owner was the incumbent director during the process of withdrawing the artwork, issuing an apology, and announcing the verification results.
During the parliamentary audit of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the 19th, both the ruling and opposition parties pressed the issue of inadequate verification and the non-disclosure of the collection's owner. The opposition party raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and ethical issues, arguing that the exhibition of the director's personal collection at the National Museum could influence the valuation of the artworks, and demanded his resignation.
Director Yu bowed his head twice in apology and acknowledged that his hesitation to publicly disclose his mistake as an art historian was a major error. However, he clarified that the artwork in question was purchased to be donated to the Buyeo Cultural Center and was not submitted for personal gain.
Director Yu is an art historian widely known for his book *My Cultural Heritage Exploration*. He served as the Director of the Yeungnam University Museum and the Dean of the Graduate School of Culture and Arts at Myongji University, and served as the Administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration from 2004 to 2008.
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