National museum chief resigns over misattributed work from private collection

You Hong-june resigned Wednesday as director of the National Museum of Korea after President Lee Jae Myung accepted his offer to step down over a misattributed calligraphic work from his private collection. The museum had displayed the work as that of a Korean independence activist before it was identified as the writing of a pro-Japanese collaborator, and later removed it from a special exhibition. You said he was stepping down to restore the museum’s tarnished honor and accepted responsibility for the criticism.

You apologized twice and bowed before lawmakers during a parliamentary audit on Monday.

You led the Cultural Heritage Administration, now the Korea Heritage Service, from 2004 to 2008.

He became director of the National Museum of Korea in July last year.

You described his 15 months at the museum as an honor and asked the public to continue supporting the institution.

You said museum researchers had prepared the Our Dining Table exhibition with great care over a long period.

Published Oct 21, 2026 9:04 pm KST

Updated Oct 21, 2026 9:17 pm KST

You Hong-june, director of the National Museum of Korea, listens to questions from lawmakers during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly, Monday. Yonhap

You Hong-june, director of the National Museum of Korea, resigned Wednesday amid a controversy over the museum's display of a misattributed calligraphic work from his private collection.

He offered to resign earlier in the day, and President Lee Jae Myung accepted his resignation.

You 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.

In a statement sent to reporters, You said he has concluded that he should step down "to restore the museum's tarnished honor."

"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," apologized 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 honorable task of protecting the value of our cultural heritage was the greatest blessing and honor 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.

韩国国立中央博物馆馆长柳洪俊周三辞职。此前，总统李在明接受了他的辞职提议，原因是其私人收藏的一幅书法作品被错误地归于他人名下。该作品此前被博物馆认定为韩国独立运动人士的作品，后经鉴定为亲日合作者所写，博物馆随后将其从特展中撤下。柳洪俊表示，他辞职是为了恢复博物馆受损的声誉，并承担了由此引发的批评责任。

周一，在议会审计期间，你两次道歉并向议员们鞠躬。

您在 2004 年至 2008 年期间担任文化遗产厅（现韩国遗产服务厅）厅长。

他于去年7月就任韩国国立中央博物馆馆长。

您称他在博物馆的 15 个月是他的荣幸，并请求公众继续支持该机构。

您曾说过，博物馆研究人员经过长时间的精心筹备，才有了“我们的餐桌”展览。

发布于2026年10月21日晚上9:04（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月21日晚上9:17（韩国标准时间）

韩国国立中央博物馆馆长柳洪俊周一在国会接受议员质询时，聆听议员提问。（韩联社）

韩国国立中央博物馆馆长柳洪俊周三辞职，此前该博物馆展出了一幅来自他私人收藏的、被错误归于其名下的书法作品，引发争议。

他当天早些时候提出辞职，李在明总统接受了他的辞呈。

这篇文章由一位在1910年至1945年日本殖民统治朝鲜期间著名的亲日合作者所写，却被错误地介绍为一位韩国独立运动人士的作品，后来发现这篇文章出自他的私人收藏，因此你受到了抨击。

争议发生后，博物馆将该展品从正在进行的特展中撤下。

尤在发给记者的一份声明中表示，他已决定辞职，“以恢复博物馆受损的荣誉”。

“由于我个人的失误，公众对韩国国立中央博物馆的深厚信任以及我们员工多年来建立的价值瞬间崩塌，”他说道。“所有对此事的批评都完全由我负责。”

尤，这位著名艺术史学家、畅销书系列《我的文化遗产探索之旅》的作者，周一在议会审计中两次道歉并向议员们鞠躬。然而，文化界人士和反对派政客仍然呼吁他辞职，他们认为道歉不足以承担此次事件的责任。

在去年7月成为博物馆馆长之前，您曾于2004年至2008年担任文化遗产厅（现韩国遗产厅）厅长。

他再次公开道歉，表示对那些感到失望的人、这位独立运动人士的遗属以及博物馆工作人员“深感抱歉”。

“虽然只有短短的15个月，但能够参与保护我们文化遗产价值这项光荣的任务，是我一生中最大的福气和荣幸，”尤说道。

谈到“我们的餐桌”展览时，他说：“我希望博物馆研究人员经过长时间的精心筹备，此次展览的意义不会被掩盖。”

“我不会忘记为博物馆发展日夜辛勤工作的员工们的努力，”尤补充道，并请求公众继续支持博物馆，以便博物馆能够取得更大的进步。