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

(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.

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."

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
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