Seoul:The director of the National Museum of Korea, You Hong-june, has issued a formal apology following the discovery that a calligraphic work from his private collection was wrongly attributed and displayed at the museum. During an annual parliamentary audit, You expressed deep regret for what he termed a "grave mistake and oversight," acknowledging the breach of public trust and the hard-earned reputation of the museum.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the controversy emerged in August when a calligraphic piece titled "Ilbansigukeun," meaning "even a single bowl of rice is the grace of the nation," was featured in a special exhibition called "Our Dining Table." Initially, the work was attributed to Korean independence activist Park Won-geun. However, it was later removed after allegations surfaced that it was actually created by Park Jung-yang, a known pro-Japanese collaborator during Korea's colonial era under Japan. Expert analysis by seven external professionals confirmed this attribution.

You also apologized to the family of the late activist Park Won-geun for the error. Despite previous apologies for the verification process, it was not disclosed until recently that the calligraphy belonged to You's personal collection. Additionally, it was revealed that another item from You and a "Stone Tiger" statue donated by his wife were also on display at the museum.

Critics have raised concerns that the inclusion of personal items in the national museum's exhibition might have been intended to increase their value. The incident has led to widespread criticism within the cultural community regarding You's management of the museum.

A former museum official, who had a long tenure at the institution, described the situation as "devastating" and emphasized that it was an event that should have never occurred.