Why the National Museum of Korea Director Stepped Down Amid Controversy Over 'Self-Exhibition'

The National Museum of Korea ranked proudly as the world's 3rd most-visited museum last year, drawing over 6.5 million visitors.
However, on October 21, Director Yoo Hong-jun resigned, leaving the leadership position at the museum vacant.

The controversy began with a piece of calligraphy titled "Ilbansiguk-eun" displayed in the special exhibition "Our Dining Table." Although introduced in the exhibition as the brushwork of independence activist Park Won-geun, expert verification confirmed it was written by Park Jung-yang, a pro-Japanese collaborator.

The controversy grew further when it was belatedly revealed that the piece was part of Director Yoo's personal collection. The artwork, which Director Yoo won at an online auction for 50,000 won, made it into the exhibition through the director's recommendation without going through expert verification.

At a time when the value of our cultural heritage is being recognized worldwide thanks to the efforts of numerous museum staff, criticisms are mounting that the top official responsible for protecting the credibility of the National Museum of Korea instead undermined it.

Produced by Jeong Seo-woo | Edited by Yoon Ye-ran | Designed by Cho Seung-hyun | Narrated by Cho Ki-ho | Produced by Knowledge Contents IP Team
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.