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

The director of the National Museum of Korea, You Hong-june, offered a formal apology on Monday after it was discovered that a calligraphic work from his private collection had been wrongly attributed and displayed at the museum. During an annual parliamentary audit of the institution, You bowed his head twice and described the situation as a grave mistake and oversight.

You expressed deep regret to lawmakers, emphasizing that the public's trust in the museum and the value created through the diligent efforts of museum staff had been shattered by his grave error. He firmly stated that no academic explanation could serve as an excuse for the public's disappointment.

The controversy began in August when the calligraphic work titled "Ilbansigukeun," meaning "even a single bowl of rice is the grace of the nation," was featured in the museum's ongoing special exhibition, "Our Dining Table." The piece was initially introduced as the work of Korean independence activist An Jung-geun, but it later emerged that the attribution was incorrect.

You took full responsibility for the verification error and apologized not only to the bereaved family of the late Korean independence activist but also to those who had placed deep trust in the museum. He acknowledged that the incident had caused significant disappointment among the public.