National museum chief resigns over misattributed work from private collection

You Hong-june, the director of the National Museum of Korea, announced his resignation on Wednesday due to a controversy surrounding a misattributed calligraphic work from his private collection. President Lee Jae Myung accepted his resignation. You had faced intense criticism after the piece, penned by a supporter of Japanese rule during Korea's colonial period from 1910 to 1945, was inaccurately credited to a Korean independence activist and was later discovered to belong to his personal collection.

The museum promptly removed the disputed item from its ongoing special exhibition in response to the uproar. In a statement addressed to reporters, You confessed to stepping down to restore the museum's damaged reputation. He lamented, "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."

You emphasized that all criticism regarding this matter was his sole responsibility. A renowned art historian and author of the best-selling book series "My Exploration of Cultural Heritage," You expressed remorse over the incident.