South Korea: National museum chief offers to resign over misattributed work from private collection

Seoul, Oct 21 (IANS) You Hong-june, director of the National Museum of Korea, offered to resign on Wednesday amid a controversy over the museum’s display of a misattributed calligraphic work from his private collection.

He came under fire after the piece, written by a prominent pro-Japanese collaborator during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea, was wrongly introduced as the work of a Korean independence activist and was found to be from his private collection.

The museum removed the item from its ongoing special exhibition following the controversy, reports Yonhap news agency.

In a statement sent to reporters, You said he has concluded that he should step down “to restore the museum’s tarnished honour.”

“The deep trust the public has placed in the National Museum of Korea and the value our staff has built collapsed in an instant because of my personal mistake,” he said. “All criticism over this matter is entirely my responsibility.”

You, a prominent art historian and author of the bestselling book series “My Exploration of Cultural Heritage,” apologised twice and bowed before lawmakers at a parliamentary audit on Monday. However, calls for his resignation persisted from figures in the cultural sector and opposition politicians, who said an apology was insufficient to take responsibility for the fiasco.

You served as head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, now the Korea Heritage Service, from 2004 to 2008 before becoming director of the museum in July last year.

He once again made a public apology, saying he was “deeply sorry” to the people who had been disappointed, to the bereaved family of the independence activist, and to museum staff.

“Although it was a short period of 15 months, being able to take part in the honourable task of protecting the value of our cultural heritage was the greatest blessing and honour of my life,” You said.

Referring to the “Our Dining Table” exhibition, he said, “I hope the significance of the exhibition, which museum researchers prepared with great care over a long period, will not be overshadowed.”

“I will not forget the efforts of the staff who worked day and night for the museum’s growth,” You added, asking the public to continue to support the museum so that it can make further progress.

–IANS

sd/