On the 21st, Yoo Hong-jun, director of the National Museum of Korea, announced his resignation, taking responsibility for the controversy surrounding the exhibition of a calligraphy work from his personal collection, Ilbansigukeun.
 
The controversy erupted after Ilbansigukeun (一飯是國恩; “Even a single bowl of rice is a blessing from the nation”), a work from Yoo’s collection displayed in the special exhibition 《The Korean Table: Food, Nature, and Life》, which opened in July, was identified as the handwriting of Park Jung-yang, a collaborator with Japanese colonial rule designated as an anti-national collaborator, rather than that of Park Won-geun, an independence activist.
 
Although Yoo issued two apologies regarding the incident, criticism intensified after it was belatedly revealed that the work belonged to his personal collection.
 
The work was found to have been purchased by Yoo for 50,000 KRW at an online auction in 2019. At the time, it was listed as a work by Park Deok-won, a member of a Joseon diplomatic mission to Japan. Yoo, however, identified it as a calligraphic work by independence activist Park Won-geun based on the signature “Han-in (韓人) Park Won-geun” inscribed on the piece and submitted it for the exhibition.

The National Museum of Korea removed the work from the exhibition on August 10 and issued an official apology on August 12, acknowledging shortcomings in its verification procedures.
 
However, controversy escalated on August 15, when the work was revealed to be part of Yoo’s personal collection, prompting criticism that he had failed to disclose his ownership during the earlier apology process.
 
In a statement, Yoo said, “The deep trust that the public has placed in the National Museum of Korea and the values that museum staff have built up over the years have been shattered in an instant by my personal mistake.” He added, “I would like to reiterate that I take full responsibility for all the criticism directed at the museum.”
 
He continued, “I have concluded that stepping down as director is the right course of action to restore the museum’s tarnished reputation.” He also offered his “deepest apologies to the public, the descendants of independence activists, and museum staff who have been disappointed and hurt by this incident.”

References

• 국립중앙박물관 보도자료 (National Museum of Korea Press Release)
• 조선일보, '셀프 출품' 유홍준 국립중앙박물관장 사의 표명, 2026.10.21