English
The director of South Korea’s National Museum of Korea has publicly apologized after a calligraphic artwork from his personal collection was displayed under a false attribution. You Hong-june made the apology during an annual parliamentary audit of the museum, bowing his head before lawmakers as he acknowledged the error.
A Misidentified Work at the Center of the Controversy
The artwork appeared in the exhibition “The Korean Table: Food, Nature, and Life,” which runs through October 25. Museum staff presented it as a piece by Park Won-geun (1912–1950), a socialist activist from North Chungcheong Province who resisted Japanese colonial rule. Japan’s colonial period, lasting from 1910 to 1945, was marked by forced assimilation, exploitation, and the suppression of individual rights.
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However, outside questions about the work’s attribution emerged roughly a month after the exhibition opened. The museum removed the piece in response. Further research then confirmed that the calligraphy was not by Park Won-geun at all. Instead, it was the work of Park Jung-yang, a pro-Japanese bureaucrat who had once used the name Park Won-geun.
Director Admits to Lending the Work
Initially, the museum apologized for the misattribution but did not identify the owner of the piece. It also did not explain how the work entered the exhibition. You Hong-june later admitted that he had lent the calligraphy from his own collection. He denied, however, that the loan was intended to increase the object’s value.
“I did lend the piece from my private collection,” You told JoongAng Ilbo. “I also believed the calligraphy was the work of an independence activist.” You has donated and exhibited other items from his personal collection at the museum since taking office in 2025. As a result, the incident raised broader questions about his influence over exhibition selections.
When lawmakers asked whether he had the work professionally authenticated before displaying it, You said he had not. He explained that his confidence in the attribution came from his academic background in calligraphy history. He also revealed why he had not disclosed his ownership earlier.
“Initially, I did not disclose that the calligraphy was from my personal collection because I thought it might be seen as boasting,” he told the parliamentary hearing. “After it was later identified as a work by Park Jung-yang, I felt ashamed as an art historian. I am ashamed and deeply remorseful.”
Calls for Stronger Curatorial Standards
The incident prompted criticism from within the museum community. A senior figure, who spoke to JoongAng Ilbo on condition of anonymity, expressed serious concern about the museum’s review process.
“A national museum should apply the strictest standards when selecting exhibits,” the source said. “It is deeply concerning that works owned or recommended by the director may bypass rigorous curatorial review.” The source added that museum staff must reflect seriously on their public responsibility.
At the parliamentary audit, You addressed the damage the incident caused. “The deep trust the public has placed in the museum and the value built through the hard work of museum staff have collapsed in an instant due to my grave oversight,” he told lawmakers. The misattribution controversy has since sparked calls for formal changes to the museum’s verification and acquisition review procedures.
