Pro-Japanese Collaborator or Independence Fighter? The National Museum of Korea's Blunder Breaks a Son's Heart Twice

00:00 Intro
00:22 An independence fighter father left behind not a single keepsake... A miraculous encounter at the museum, but
01:55 Turns out to be a "pro-Japanese collaborator's" calligraphy? The National Museum of Korea quietly removes it
03:14 Why did the National Museum of Korea insist it was the work of a patriotic martyr?
05:00 Is verifying the authenticity not easy either?
06:23 What happened after the SBS report?

An elderly man with white hair kneels before a piece of calligraphy and sobs. This photograph of a descendant of an independence fighter was taken at the National Museum of Korea on the 7th. Just days later, the director of the National Museum of Korea bowed his head in apology, while the descendants, who had wept tears of overwhelming emotion, were left to suffer in silence. This absurd story begins now.

1. An independence fighter father left behind not a single keepsake... A miraculous encounter at the museum, but
The protagonist of this viral photo is Park Yong-hyun, the son of independence fighter Park Won-geun. Born in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province, Park was an anti-Japanese activist who served two prison terms in the 1930s over his involvement with the Saminhwa and Sinin-gkurapbu groups in resistance to Japanese colonial rule. After liberation, when the Korean War broke out, he was massacred by the Boeun Police in 1950, and his anti-Japanese activities were officially recognized 60 years later through an SBS report in 2020. At the time, Park Yong-hyun shared his vague memories of his father as follows:

[Park Yong-hyun / Son of Patriotic Martyr Park Won-geun (August 2020): There is what they call an "Under-Japanese-Surveillance Individual Card," and my father appears on it. (Aside from that,) I only have sporadic thoughts (memories) of my father...]

Back then, independence fighters often left few or no keepsakes behind because they were constantly evading Japanese pursuers, and Park was no exception. Recently, however, surprising news reached his son, who had lived with longing while searching through decades of memories. A handwritten calligraphy piece by Park was reportedly put on exhibition at the National Museum of Korea. Rushing to the exhibition hall, the son found that the creator of the calligraphy was clearly introduced as his father. Believing he was encountering his father's traces for the very first time, the son shed tears of joy. Ahead of Liberation Day, this story spread across social media and drew immense attention. Reactions poured in praising the National Museum of Korea for doing a wonderful thing, but the real trouble happened afterward.

2. Turns out to be a "pro-Japanese collaborator's" calligraphy? The National Museum of Korea quietly removes it
On the 11th, SBS reporters received a tip stating that the calligraphy keepsake might actually be the work of someone else, not Park, and that it had been quietly removed. We visited the site to check. In the exact spot where Park had shed tears of joy, only a single poem was hanging.

[Exhibition Staff Member (Afternoon of the 11th): It has been replaced due to personal circumstances...]

When we asked the museum what personal circumstances meant, they replied that after the exhibition opened, they received a tip that the piece might be by a person with the same name, and deciding that re-verification was necessary, they removed it from the exhibition hall on the afternoon of the 10th. The work was taken down just three days after Park's visit, and reporting revealed that the namesake in question was none other than a prominent pro-Japanese collaborator. That person is Park Jung-yang, a high-ranking pro-Japanese official who served as a member of the Imperial Diet of Japan and was pointed out for taking the lead in suppressing the March 1st Independence Movement. His name before changing it is known to have been Park Won-geun, the same as the independence fighter. The National Museum of Korea was turned upside down by claims that calligraphy introduced as embodying the spirit of an anti-Japanese independence fighter might actually be the trace of a pro-Japanese collaborator standing on the exact opposite side of history, prompting them to hastily launch a re-appraisal.

3. Why did the National Museum of Korea insist it was the work of a patriotic martyr?
This raises a question. Why did the museum assert from the beginning that it was the work of independence fighter Park Won-geun? The controversial calligraphy was featured in the National Museum of Korea's special exhibition "Our Dining Table," which opened on the 1st of last month. The exhibition was organized with the intent to comprehensively cover South Korea's dietary culture. It appears they secured this privately owned calligraphy piece while searching around for keepsakes that fit the concept. The Chinese characters written on the work, meaning "The general political situation is that even a single bowl of rice is a grace of the country," are known as the sayings of Master Yeonggyu, the first monk-soldier commander of the Imjin War. In one corner of the work, it reads "Korean Park Won-geun." The museum explained that because the artifact owner stated it was Park's work, and because the word "Korean" was added next to the name—much like other patriotic martyrs—along with quoting the saying of a righteous army commander who fought against Japan, they had no suspicion whatsoever, particularly never entertaining the thought that it could be the work of a pro-Japanese collaborator. They admitted that although they sought preliminary advice from various experts, their verification process was ultimately flawed. As the National Museum of Korea is the country's most prestigious cultural institution, people say it should go through extremely rigorous procedures even when exhibiting a single small artifact. The cultural community pointed out that it is hard to understand how such an institution invited this shoddy verification controversy upon itself, severely bruising its prestige. The museum, which had removed the calligraphy without any public notice, abruptly issued an apology through its homepage on the evening our reporting began, and the next day, Director Yoo Hong-jun bowed his head in person, promising to prevent recurrence through multi-angled cross-verification of artifacts.

4. Is verifying the authenticity not easy either?
There are people we must not forget: the descendants of independence fighter Park Won-geun, who shed tears of emotion trusting the museum's explanation. We contacted them. Hearing the shocking news just days later that the artifact might not belong to their ancestor, and that it could even be the handwriting of a pro-Japanese collaborator who tormented independence fighters, they could not hide their bewildered feelings. Nevertheless, keeping their words measured, they stated that taking the lead in damaging the status of a state institution is improper for descendants of a patriotic martyr, and asked the museum to do its best in verifying the authenticity. While this felt truly fitting for descendants of an independence fighter, the authenticity check they hope for currently appears far from easy. As explained earlier, Park left behind no keepsakes. There is nothing to compare with to determine if it is Park's handwriting. From the beginning, there was no solid scientific basis to conclude it was Park's handwriting. The same holds true now as they embark on the re-appraisal process. The museum is first conducting a comparative appraisal using Park Jung-yang's surviving handwriting, but experts note that even if a conclusion is reached that it is not Park Jung-yang's work, it does not automatically mean it is the calligraphy of independence fighter Park Won-geun, as it could still belong to a third party, making the quest for truth extremely difficult. The museum's policy is to examine the authenticity and announce a conclusion as early as the end of this month.

5. What happened after the SBS report?
Coincidentally, just the day after the museum released its official apology, the descendants of Park headed to the Blue House. They had been invited to an event for descendants of national merit ahead of Liberation Day.

[President Yoon Suk Yeol: We will fulfill the state's responsibilities and duties to ensure there are no shortcomings in protecting the honor and lives of your ancestors and yourselves.]

Following the SBS report, Park's descendant said, "Thank you for remembering independence fighter Park Won-geun and showing deep interest in our family's matter." They added, "We ask for your continued interest and support so that the museum's investigation can be conducted transparently." This likely reflects the wish for the state to fulfill its responsibilities and duties so as not to fall short in protecting the honor and lives of the ancestors who devoted themselves to reclaiming lost sovereignty and their descendants. Whether the truth can be uncovered before the tears shed by an elderly man with white hair remains a test for the nation's highest cultural institution.

(Reported by An Huijae | Produced by Shin Hee-suk | Video by Bae Moon-sang | Video Editing by Hong Jin-young | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.