Calligraphy Displayed at National Museum Turns Out to Be Work of Pro-Japanese Figure with Same Name

A calligraphy work displayed at the National Museum of Korea as the creation of an independence activist has been identified as the work of a pro-Japanese official who used the same name in his youth.

The museum said on the 7th that a detailed examination concluded the piece, titled “A Bowl of Rice Is Also the Nation’s Grace,” was written by Park Jung-yang, a pro-Japanese figure who served as vice chairman of the Central Council of the Japanese Governor-General of Korea and as a member of Japan’s House of Peers. The work had been presented as the writing of independence activist Park Won-geun.

The privately owned piece was displayed in “Our Table,” a special exhibition on the history of Korean food culture. The exhibition opened in July, and the work remained on display for more than a month before the museum withdrew it after receiving information that the attribution could be wrong.

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Accurately verifying facts about historical figures is a basic responsibility that the museum must uphold before the public, but we fell short.

The museum appointed seven specialists in calligraphy, modern and contemporary history, historical documents and conservation science. They compared the work with documents and calligraphy produced by Park Jung-yang during his youth, finding similarities in the way the strokes were handled. Researchers also identified an inscription on the seal that matched wording associated with a seal carved for Park Jung-yang in 1932.

The inscription “Korean, Park Won-geun” also fit the circumstances of Park Jung-yang’s years studying in Japan from 1896 to 1903, when Korean students and visitors used the term “Korean” to identify their nationality to foreigners. Records indicate that Park Jung-yang used the name Park Won-geun during that period and sold calligraphy in Japan to cover his expenses.

Museum Director Yoo Hong-jun apologized to the family of the independence activist and the public, saying accurate verification of historical figures is a basic responsibility. The museum said it would explain the investigation to the family, strengthen pre-exhibition checks and expand its pool of modern-history experts.

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We once again express our sincere regret to the family and the public, and will further strengthen the verification process for exhibited works so that the same thing does not happen again.