(LEAD) Chief of national museum apologizes over wrongful attribution of item on display

This will let Google show Yonhap news articles that match or are related to your search

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details from parliamentary audit, background information in last 4 paras; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- The director of the National Museum of Korea issued a formal apology Monday after a calligraphic work from his private collection was found to have been wrongfully attributed and put on display at the museum.

Speaking during an annual parliamentary audit of the museum, You Hong-june bowed his head twice and described the incident as a "grave mistake and oversight."

"The deep trust the public has placed in the museum and the value built through the hard work of museum staff have collapsed in an instant due to my grave oversight," You told lawmakers, adding that no academic explanation could serve as an excuse for the public's disappointment.

You also apologized to the late Korean independence activist to whom the calligraphy was wrongly attributed and his bereaved family over the verification error.

You Hong-june, director of the National Museum of Korea, bows in apology over a controversy involving the museum's exhibition of a calligraphic work from his private collection and misattribution during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 19, 2026. (Yonhap)

The controversy began in August over a calligraphic work titled "Ilbansigukeun," meaning "even a single bowl of rice is the grace of the nation," which was featured in the museum's ongoing special exhibition, "Our Dining Table."

The piece was initially introduced as the work of Korean independence activist Park Won-geun (1912-1950). However, the museum removed the item a month after the exhibition opened following allegations that it was actually written by Park Jung-yang (1874-1959), a prominent pro-Japanese collaborator during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea. A subsequent reinvestigation by seven external experts confirmed the calligraphy was written by Park Jung-yang.

While the museum and You previously apologized four times for the faulty verification process, they had not disclosed that the piece belonged to the director's personal collection. It was later revealed that another item owned by You and a "Stone Tiger" statue donated by his wife were also put on display at the museum.

Although You explained that he purchased the calligraphy for donation to a local cultural center, critics have raised suspicions that exhibiting the personal items at the national museum was an attempt to inflate their value.

The revelation has sparked widespread criticism within the cultural sector regarding You's conduct as head of the museum.

A former museum official who worked at the institution for over 20 years called the situation "devastating" and "something that should never have happened."

You Hong-june, director of the National Museum of Korea, answers a question from a lawmaker during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 19, 2026. (Yonhap)

Asked whether he had the calligraphy professionally authenticated before recommending it for display, You said he had not because he was confident it was a work by Park Won-geun, having majored in calligraphy history.

"Initially, I did not disclose that the 'Ilbansigukeun' calligraphy was from my personal collection because I thought it might be seen as boasting," You said. "After it was later identified as a work by Park Jung-yang, I felt ashamed as an art historian. I am ashamed and deeply remorseful."

You is an art historian best known as the author of the bestselling book series "My Exploration of Cultural Heritage." He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in aesthetics and received master's and doctoral degrees from Hongik University and Sungkyunkwan University, respectively.

He made his debut in 1981 after winning the daily Dong-A Ilbo's spring literary contest in the art criticism category. Since then, he has primarily worked as an art historian who explores Korea's cultural heritage and history through narrative storytelling.

sshim@yna.co.kr (END)

BTS' RM donates 100 mln won to National Museum of Korea

National Museum of Korea logs record first-half attendance

Museum brand Mu:ds posts record first-half sales

BTS' RM named global ambassador of Nat'l Museum of Korea

(LEAD) Chief of national museum apologizes over wrongful attribution of item on display

这将使谷歌能够向您展示与您的搜索匹配或相关的韩联社新闻文章。

（注意：更新内容包括议会审计的更多细节，最后4段提供背景信息；新增照片）

首尔，10月19日（韩联社）——韩国国立中央博物馆馆长周一就其私人收藏的一幅书法作品被错误地归于他人名下并在博物馆展出一事发表正式道歉声明。

在国会对该博物馆进行年度审计时，尤洪俊两次低头，并将该事件描述为“严重的错误和疏忽”。

“由于我的严重疏忽，公众对博物馆的深切信任以及博物馆工作人员辛勤工作所建立的价值瞬间崩塌，”你告诉立法者，并补充说，任何学术解释都不能成为公众失望的借口。

你还就核实错误一事，向已故的韩国独立运动人士及其家属道歉，因为该书法作品被错误地归于他名下。

2026年10月19日，在首尔举行的国会听证会上，韩国国立中央博物馆馆长柳洪俊就该馆展出其私人收藏的书法作品并错误归属一事道歉。（韩联社）

这场争议始于 8 月，起因是一幅名为《一碗饭是国家的恩惠》的书法作品，该作品在博物馆正在举办的特别展览“我们的餐桌”中展出。

这件作品最初被认为是韩国独立运动家朴元根（1912-1950）的作品。然而，展览开幕一个月后，博物馆撤下了这件展品，原因是有人指控其真实作者是朴正阳（1874-1959），他是日本在1910年至1945年殖民统治朝鲜时期一位著名的亲日合作者。随后，七位外部专家的重新调查证实，这件书法作品的确出自朴正阳之手。

尽管博物馆和尤先生此前已就鉴定程序失误四次道歉，但他们并未披露这件展品属于馆长个人收藏。后来，人们发现博物馆还展出了尤先生的另一件藏品以及他妻子捐赠的“石虎”雕像。

尽管尤先生解释说他购买这幅书法作品是为了捐赠给当地文化中心，但批评人士怀疑，在国家博物馆展出这些个人物品是为了抬高其价值。

这一爆料在文化界引发了对尤先生作为博物馆馆长行为的广泛批评。

一位曾在该机构工作超过 20 年的前博物馆官员称这种情况“令人痛心”，并表示“这是根本不应该发生的事情”。

2026年10月19日，韩国国立中央博物馆馆长柳洪俊在首尔国会大厦举行的国会听证会上回答议员提问。（韩联社）

当被问及在推荐展出之前是否请专业人士鉴定过这幅书法作品时，You表示没有，因为他主修书法史，所以确信这是朴元根的作品。

“起初，我没有透露《一班九九院》书法作品来自我的个人收藏，因为我担心这会被视为炫耀，”柳先生说。“后来经鉴定确认是朴正阳的作品后，作为一名艺术史学家，我感到非常惭愧。我感到羞愧和深深的懊悔。”

You是一位艺术史学家，最广为人知的身份是畅销书系列《我的文化遗产探索之旅》的作者。他毕业于首尔大学美学系，并分别在弘益大学和成均馆大学获得硕士和博士学位。

1981年，他凭借在《东亚日报》春季文学竞赛艺术评论类比赛中的出色表现而出道。此后，他主要从事艺术史研究，通过叙事的方式探索韩国的文化遗产和历史。

sshim@yna.co.kr（完）

防弹少年团成员RM向韩国国立中央博物馆捐赠1亿韩元

韩国国立中央博物馆上半年参观人数创历史新高。

博物馆品牌 Mu:ds 上半年销售额创历史新高

防弹少年团成员RM被任命为韩国国立博物馆全球大使

（导语）国家博物馆馆长就展品归属错误致歉