ED Downfall of national museum director
You Hong-june, then-director general of the National Museum of Korea, speaks at the National Assembly audit of the museum on Monday. Yonhap
NMK head's resignation signals cautionary tale of ethics
Veteran art historian You Hong-june has fallen from grace. Days after coming under scrutiny over an alleged conflict of interest, he resigned as director general of the National Museum of Korea (NMK).
He acknowledged his misconduct, saying he was stepping down to take responsibility for the trouble he had caused the museum. The personal cost has been substantial. His expertise as an art historian has also come under question following the wrongful attribution of a calligraphic work in his collection to a patriot, when historians later identified it as the work of a collaborator with Japan’s colonial rule.
You’s resignation should not be viewed merely in terms of his personal losses. The controversy surrounding You sends a warning signal about the ethical standards expected of public officials, whether elected or appointed.
A best-selling author and former head of the Korea Heritage Service, You has come under fire for what appears to be a serious lapse in judgment and ethics. He included a calligraphic work from his personal collection in the museum’s recent exhibition on Korean culinary culture. The work was initially presented as the creation of independence activist Park Won-geun (1912-1950). It later emerged, however, that the calligraphy was written by Park Jung-yang, who collaborated with Japanese colonizers during their more than three-decade rule over Korea.
The misattribution has dealt a serious blow to You’s reputation as an art historian. Instead of focusing on the richness of Korean gastronomy, the exhibition became a reminder of the country’s tragic colonial past.
The episode is particularly embarrassing because You is a prolific art historian who has published dozens of books on Korea’s cultural heritage. How could a scholar of his standing overlook such a consequential distinction between the two figures?
Questions about You’s ethics have further unsettled the public.
When artworks are displayed at prestigious institutions such as the NMK, they can acquire institutional legitimacy, enhancing their perceived historical and cultural significance. Such recognition can also increase their market value. The value of You’s personal collection could therefore have benefited from its inclusion in the exhibition. Whether he intended to secure such a financial advantage remains unknown.
One point, however, is clear: Exhibiting a museum director’s personal property at the institution he leads raises a serious concern about conflict of interest, regardless of his intentions.
The International Council of Museums addresses conflicts of interest in its Code of Ethics. Section 8, which sets out standards for museum professionals to prevent such conflicts, states that, “Museum professionals should not participate in any illicit traffic or commercial dealing in cultural property. Such activities, whether direct or indirect, are incompatible with the ethics of the museum profession.”
You now faces criticism on two fronts: the misattribution of a work in his personal collection and the decision to display it in a prestigious museum exhibition, potentially advancing his personal gains. The episode has tarnished his scholarly credentials and raised serious questions about his judgment as a public official.
His resignation should not close the matter. Rather, it should prompt a broader discussion about accountability and ethical safeguards in public office. Public officials, whether elected or appointed, must understand that their positions are not personal assets to be used for private benefit. Their conduct must meet standards that protect public trust. You’s downfall is a stark reminder that expertise and professional stature cannot substitute for integrity.