President Lee approves Yu Hong-jun’s resignation amid controversy over exhibition of personal collection

[Financial News] On the 21st, President Lee Jae Myung approved the resignation of Yu Hong-jun, director of the National Museum of Korea, who had offered to step down amid controversy over an exhibition of his personal collection. He also approved the dismissal of a private-sector member of the Presidential National AI Strategy Committee, who had sparked controversy over inappropriate conduct.
Kang Yoo-jung, senior spokesperson for the Blue House, announced this in a notice that day.
Director Yu sparked controversy by mistakenly identifying calligraphy by Park Jung-yang, a pro-Japanese collaborator and anti-national traitor, from his own collection as a work by patriotic independence activist Park Won-geun, and submitting it to the museum’s special exhibition “Our Table.” It later emerged that the work was part of the director’s personal collection, raising concerns about inadequate vetting and a conflict of interest.
In a statement that day, Director Yu said, “I have concluded that stepping down as director is the right thing to do in order to restore the museum’s tarnished reputation,” and offered his resignation. He had taken office in July last year, 15 months earlier.
President Lee also approved that day the proposal to dismiss the private-sector member of the National AI Strategy Committee. However, the member’s name and the specific details of the controversy were not disclosed.
[email protected] Seong Seok-woo Reporter