Former National Museum Chief Yu Hong-jun Resigns Over Pro-Japanese Calligraphy Controversy, Meets Secretly with Bereaved Family of Independence Activist Right After Farewell Ceremony

It has been confirmed that Yu Hong-jun, the former director of the National Museum of Korea who resigned following a controversy over submitting his own pro-Japanese calligraphy piece for an exhibition, met with the bereaved family of independence activist Park Won-geun today (the 22nd) right after his farewell ceremony.

According to SBS reporting, former Director Yu held a private meeting lasting about 30 minutes with members of late activist Park's family at an undisclosed location in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, following the conclusion of his farewell ceremony today.

During the meeting, Yu reportedly mentioned his responsibility as museum director for artifact verification regarding the recent controversy and repeatedly expressed his apologies.

The meeting is known to have been arranged at the request of former Director Yu's side.

Previously, the museum introduced a piece titled "Ilbansiguk-eun" (Korean: 일반시국은) as brush calligraphy by independence activist Park Won-geun during a special exhibition last July, but it was belatedly identified as the handwriting of a pro-Japanese figure, sparking a verification controversy.

Public backlash mounted after the touching story was revealed that Park's bereaved family had visited the museum in tears upon encountering what they believed was the sole remaining trace of their ancestor who left behind no personal belongings. The controversy was further fueled during the National Assembly's parliamentary audit when it was uncovered that the owner of the calligraphy piece was none other than former Director Yu himself.

Ultimately, Yu offered his resignation yesterday, stating, "I have reached the conclusion that stepping down from the post of director is the right thing to do to restore the tarnished reputation of the museum," and President Lee Jae-myung approved his resignation in less than a day.

In a statement sent to SBS yesterday, the bereaved family pointed out that even during a meeting arranged by Yu on September 14 where he promised to apologize, he failed to disclose that he was the owner of the controversial calligraphy. They urged that, regardless of Yu's resignation, the exact grounds and background on which the pro-Japanese calligraphy was judged to be the work of an independence activist be thoroughly clarified.

Regarding Yu's immediate visit to the bereaved family to apologize once again following his final official event, some analyze it as "a move by the person responsible for the scandal to wrap up the controversy as best as possible before leaving public office."

At his farewell ceremony, Yu bowed his head, saying, "I am sorry to leave office after tarnishing the museum's reputation due to my personal mistake."

He left his post 15 months after taking office, parting with the words, "I leave with a sense of guilt stemming from my own mistake, alongside my pride and love for the museum."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.