National museum director scrutinized after lending misattributed calligraphy from private collection

The National Museum of Korea removed a work later identified as by a pro-Japanese collaborator, raising questions about its director's role in exhibit selection and artifact verification.

Director of National Museum of Korea You Hong-june speaks during a seminar held at the museum in central Seoul on Sept. 10. YONHAP

The director of Korea’s flagship national museum is facing scrutiny after a calligraphy piece from his private collection was displayed as the work of an independence activist — only to be later identified as the work of a pro-Japanese collaborator.

Director of the National Museum of Korea You Hong-june has also donated and exhibited other items from his private collection at the museum since taking office, raising questions about the museum’s criteria for selecting work to display and the director’s influence on those selections.

The calligraphy in question was presented as the work of Park Won-geun (1912-50), an independence activist from North Chungcheong who fought against Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945). The museum displayed the piece as part of its special exhibition, “The Korean Table: Food, Nature, and Life,” which opened July 1.

Just over a month later, the museum removed it after people outside the institution questioned whether it had been attributed to the correct person.

After consulting experts, the museum confirmed on Sept. 7 that the calligraphy was actually the work of pro-Japanese collaborator Park Jung-yang, who had once used the name Park Won-geun. The museum apologized and pledged to prevent similar mistakes but did not disclose who owned the piece or how it came to be displayed.

"I did lend the piece from my private collection," You told the JoongAng Ilbo by phone on Thursday, referring to the controversial calligraphy work titled "Ilban Sigukeun," which means "Even a bowl of rice is a gift from the nation.”

“I also believed the calligraphy was the work of an independence activist,” You said. “It was one of the pieces I had planned to donate to the Buyeo Cultural Center [in South Chungcheong] for the establishment of a county museum.”

“[I was] preparing to have more pieces appraised,” the director said. He had donated 865 artifacts valued at roughly 2.7 billion won ($2 million) between 2019 and 2024.

He denied suggestions that the loan was intended to boost the value of his private collection, but his own account effectively confirmed that the museum had displayed a work without first completing an independent assessment of its authenticity.

Director of National Museum of Korea You Hong-june speaks during a seminar held at the museum in central Seoul on Sept. 10. YONHAP

"The museum's failure to correctly interpret the artifact was a mistake that exposed its lack of expertise," the director said in a separate apology issued Sept. 10.

The museum confirmed that the piece belonged to You and had been borrowed "at the director's recommendation" in documents submitted to the offices of opposition People Power Party Reps. Cho Eun-hee and Jung Yeon-wook ahead of a parliamentary audit on Monday.

"Even during the planning stage, some questioned whether the piece fit with the rest of the exhibition," a source from the museum's Archaeology and History Department said Thursday.

The revelation has fueled growing calls for the director to take responsibility for lapses in the museum's verification process.

"A national museum should apply the strictest standards when selecting exhibits, yet it is deeply concerning that works owned or recommended by the director may bypass rigorous curatorial review," said a senior figure in the museum community who requested anonymity. "Museum staff must seriously reflect on their responsibility to the public and the museum's role as a public institution."

You has also made several donations from his private collection to the museum since taking office, and the works are on permanent display. Critics say the museum should review whether the donations underwent proper verification and acceptance procedures.

A stone tiger sculpture from the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), which previously belonged to You Hong-june's wife, is seen installed on the outdoor steps of the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul. KANG HYE-RAN

The JoongAng Ilbo found that a stone tiger sculpture from the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) had previously belonged to You's wife before it was donated to the museum and installed on the outdoor steps of the museum's permanent exhibition hall in April.

An artifact titled "Folding Screen with Calligraphy by Bak Yeong-hyo and Kim Ga-jin" also went on display in the museum's Joseon room in July, as the adjacent Korean Empire room reopened after renovations. Its label read, "Gift by Yoo Hong-june."

Neither piece now identifies its donor. A source from the national museum said Yoo’s name was removed “when the exhibit panels were replaced in late July.”

BY KANG HYE-RAN [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]