The director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) resigned halfway through his term Tuesday amid reports that he has been under pressure to quit due in part to his appointment by the previous administration.
Youn Bum-mo offered to resign last week and his resignation was accepted as of Tuesday, sources said.
The museum will be led by an acting director until a new director is appointed.
Youn, who previously worked as an art critic, was first appointed to the post in 2019 by the previous Moon Jae-in administration for a three-year term, and kept the position in February last year for another term.
The reappointment, which came just a couple of weeks before the presidential election, spurred criticism that the outgoing administration filled the post just a few months before leaving office.
While in office, Youn also came under criticism that some exhibitions were politically biased.
The government plans to initiate an open recruitment process for the director's position by releasing a public notice early next month. Although Youn had about 22 months left before his term expires in February 2025, the newly appointed director will begin a fresh three-year term.
Source: Yonhap News Agency