Claimed to Be a Patriot's Calligraphy... Confirmed to Be Written by a Pro-Japanese Figure

[Anchor]

An artwork that was exhibited at the National Museum of Korea as the keepsake of an independence activist has been confirmed to be written by a pro-Japanese collaborator. The museum acknowledged that the suspicions were true and repeatedly bowed its head in apology.

Reporter An Huijae has the story.

[Reporter]

[On August 13, SBS 8 News: An artwork exhibited at the National Museum of Korea as calligraphy by an independence activist was quietly removed. Suspicions were raised that it might be the handwriting of a pro-Japanese figure rather than an independence activist.]

The suspicions turned out to be true.

Following the SBS report, the National Museum of Korea formed an advisory panel to conduct verification and concluded that the problematic work is "not a keepsake of the patriot Park Won-geun, but of the pro-Japanese collaborator Park Jung-yang."

This comes about 20 days after the museum issued a public apology and began taking corrective measures.

The advisory panel explained that, based on the characteristics of the brushstrokes, the work can be seen as Park Jung-yang's handwriting, and that a seal inscription he received from a calligrapher was also found on the artwork.

Circumstances showing that Park Jung-yang used the same name as Patriot Park until he finished studying in Japan in 1903 were also confirmed.

Contrary to the initial explanation that they could not suspect it as a pro-Japanese work because of the word "Hanin" (Korean), the advisory panel pointed out that "it was a term frequently used by international students in Japan during the Korean Empire in front of foreigners," which is far from the trajectory of Patriot Park's life.

Director-General Kim Hong-jun promised to strengthen the verification process for exhibition items, stating that "the basic duty of fact-checking was insufficient."

A museum official stated, "There is a reality where the National Museum of Korea lacks experts specializing in the Japanese colonial period," adding, "We will review plans to expand professional personnel."

The descendant of Patriot Park, who had shed tears of emotion believing the claim that it was their ancestor's keepsake, stated, "I cannot hide my dismay and deep regret," while expressing hope that "real independence movement" research to uncover the noble traces of independence contributors will begin in earnest.

(Video reporting: Ha Ryung, Video editing: Choi Hye-ran, Design: Choi Jae-young, Footage courtesy of: Korean History Database & Center for Historical Truth and Justice)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.