MMCA director Youn Bum-mo announces intent to resign from post
![Youn Bum-mo, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), is reported to have submitted a letter of resignation to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 10. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2023/04/13/32da45b1-84dd-4ea3-bb91-e60239110cdb.jpg)
Youn Bum-mo, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), is reported to have submitted a letter of resignation to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 10. [YONHAP]
Youn Bum-mo has announced his intent to step down from his position as director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA).
According to local reports Thursday, Youn submitted a letter of resignation to Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon on April 10, which has not been processed yet. He has one year and 10 months left until the end of his term.
Youn, initially a progressive art critic and art history professor at Dongguk Univeristy, was first named the director of the museum in 2019.
At the time, the appointment caused a stir in the art scene as possible nepotism, due to Youn's liberal propensity and the fact that his assignment was made during former Moon Jae-in administration.
After a three-year term, Youn was reappointed in February 2022.
That October, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted an audit in which it found 16 instances of illegal or unfair business practices.
Some of the instances directly pointed to Youn himself: The ministry noted that Youn had failed to file a report when the museum’s official YouTube channel was hacked last August and remained idle on claims that there had been cases of abuse of power among employees.
The MMCA has yet to officially comment on the matter.
BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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