National Museum of Korea Director Yoo Hongjun Offers to Resign Amid “‘Submitting His Own Collection’” Controversy

Calligraphy by pro-Japanese collaborator exhibited as an independence activist's work... Inadequate verification exposed

Personally recommended his own work, bought for 50,000 won... Ownership disclosed only later

Apologized after criticism from both parties at October 19 audit... Offered to resign two days later

Just 15 months after taking office in July last year... Whether resignation has been accepted remains unknown

Yoo Hongjun, director of the National Museum of Korea, who sparked controversy by personally recommending an item from his own collection for a museum special exhibition and incorrectly presenting calligraphy by a pro-Japanese collaborator as the work of an independence activist, has offered to resign. The announcement came two days after lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties criticized him during a parliamentary audit on October 19 over inadequate verification of exhibits and the failure to disclose the collector's identity.

National Museum of Korea Director Yoo Hongjun answers questions from committee members during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly on the 19th. Yonhap News Agency.

The National Museum of Korea said on October 21 that Yoo had offered to resign, taking full responsibility for all the controversy surrounding the inclusion in an exhibition of his privately owned calligraphic work, "One Bowl of Rice Is the Nation's Grace."

In a statement released that day, Yoo said, "Today, I am offering my resignation as director of the National Museum of Korea. The deep trust that the public has placed in the National Museum of Korea and the values that our museum staff have built up over the years have crumbled in an instant because of my personal mistake."

He added, "I want to make it clear once again that I bear full responsibility for all the criticism. I have concluded that stepping down as director is the right thing to do to restore the museum's tarnished reputation."

The controversy began with the calligraphic work "One Bowl of Rice Is the Nation's Grace," which was included in the National Museum of Korea's special exhibition "Our Dining Table" in July. The work, which means "Even a single bowl of rice is a blessing from the nation," was initially attributed to independence activist Park Won-geun (1912-1950).

However, questions were raised over whether "Park Won-geun," the name written on the work, was an alias used by Park Jung-yang (1874-1959), a pro-Japanese collaborator. The museum removed the work on August 10 and began an expert review. After an investigation by seven experts in calligraphy, modern and contemporary history, ancient documents, and conservation science, the museum announced on September 7 that the work was by Park Jung-yang.

The controversy grew after it emerged that the work had been misattributed and was also part of Yoo's personal collection.

According to documents obtained by People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Yeon-uk and other members of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Yoo won the calligraphic work at an online auction in 2019 for 50,000 won. The museum borrowed the work for the exhibition following Yoo's recommendation, and information provided by the collector was also taken into consideration when determining who had created it.

Criticism mounted over whether the National Museum's procedures for selecting exhibits and conducting scholarly reviews were appropriate, particularly after it was confirmed that Yoo both owned the work and had recommended it for the exhibition. The museum also came under fire for not disclosing that the director was the collector while removing the work and announcing the findings of its investigation.

At the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit on October 19, lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties pressed Yoo on his responsibility. People Power Party lawmaker Cho Eun-hee called for his resignation, while fellow lawmaker Kim Seok-ki also demanded that he take responsibility for presenting a work by a pro-Japanese collaborator as the calligraphy of an independence patriot. Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers also questioned him about ownership of the work, the review process, and why the collector's identity had not been disclosed.

At the time, Yoo apologized for his error in judgment and for not disclosing the collector's information, but did not clearly state whether he would resign. He formally announced his intention to step down two days after pledging to improve the system for verifying exhibits.

In his resignation statement that day, Yoo also said, "I sincerely apologize to members of the public who have been disappointed and hurt by this incident, to the families of independence patriots, and to the museum staff."

He added, "I hope this incident will not diminish the significance of the special exhibition 'Our Dining Table,' which the museum's research staff prepared with dedication over a long period."

Yoo took office as the 13th director of the National Museum of Korea on July 21, 2025. A prominent art historian and author of the well-known series "My Cultural Heritage Exploration," he has served as a professor at Yeungnam University, commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration, and distinguished professor at Myongji University.

Since taking office, he had emphasized making the National Museum of Korea more accessible to the public, expanding international exchanges, and raising the international profile of Korean cultural heritage. The museum drew more than 6.5 million visitors last year, and attendance has continued to rise this year, reflecting growing public interest in the institution.

"Although my 15 months in the role were brief, being able to do the honorable work of protecting the value of our cultural heritage was the greatest blessing and honor of my life," Yoo said. "I will not forget the dedication of all the staff who worked alongside me day and night to help the museum grow."

He added, "Although I am leaving, I ask the public to continue giving their unwavering love and support to the National Museum of Korea, the heart of the history and culture of the Republic of Korea, so that it can continue to make even greater strides."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.