Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young announced a comprehensive audit following the resignation of Yuhongjun, the former director of the National Museum of Korea, amid controversy over the exhibition and verification of personal collection items.
During a National Assembly audit on October 23, Choi responded to a query from ruling party lawmaker Jeong Yeon-wook, who called for a strict investigation into Yuhongjun's actions. Choi stated, "I believe that the reputation and trust that the National Museum of Korea has built over many years have been damaged by this incident. I deeply regret this and will work to restore that trust through a thorough audit."
Choi further emphasized that the Ministry would not limit the audit to Yuhongjun's alleged misuse of authority, stating, "We will conduct an audit of all procedures related to the management and verification of the exhibits in question."
Earlier, the National Museum of Korea faced backlash for incorrectly attributing a work by pro-Japanese collaborator Park Jung-yang (1874-1959) as a piece by patriot Park Won-geun (1912-1950) in its special exhibition 'Our Dining Table,' which opened in July. It was revealed that the disputed piece was purchased by Yuhongjun for 50,000 won at an online auction in 2019 and recommended for exhibition. As the controversy grew, Yuhongjun submitted his resignation on October 21, which was accepted by the Blue House.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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