Former National Museum of Korea Director Yu Hong-jun [Newsis]
Former National Museum of Korea Director Yu Hong-jun [Newsis]

Yu Hong-jun, former director of the National Museum of Korea, allegedly had the stone wall of his family home in Buyeo-gun, South Chungcheong Province — registered in his wife's name — included in a nationally designated cultural heritage site while serving as head of the Cultural Heritage Administration.

According to the Chosun Ilbo on Friday, the residence, known as "Hyuhyudang," was built by Yu so he could split his time between city and rural life in Buyeo, which he has called his "second hometown." The wall of the property was incorporated into the "Bangyo Village Old Stone Wall" designation, registered as National Registered Cultural Heritage No. 280 in December 2006, when Yu was serving as head of the Cultural Heritage Administration. The registration came just two months after Hyuhyudang was completed, and Yu himself was listed as the applicant. Since the designation, about 500 million won ($375,000) in public funds has been spent on maintenance of the 2.5-kilometer Bangyo Village Old Stone Wall, which includes the Hyuhyudang wall.

Yu has introduced Hyuhyudang in various media appearances as "a modest space with one room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a storage area," saying he planned to divide his time between the city and the countryside after retirement. However, the property's registered use was changed from a residence to a "warehouse" in 2014, making it ineligible for permanent habitation.

The Buyeo Bangyo Village Old Stone Wall retains its status as a national registered cultural heritage site. It is a 2.5-kilometer stretch of stone walls scattered throughout the village, built from locally sourced fieldstones stacked to a height of about 1.5 meters.


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