The Original Place of the Goryeo Gilt-Bronze Buddha Statue Stolen and Taken from Japan...

Trial to Determine Owner of Gilt-bronze Seated Avalokitesvara Statue Resumes on the 28th of Next Month

'Gwaneumbosal Seated Statue' smuggled into the country through a domestic cultural heritage theft ring from Tsushima Island, Japan

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] A Goryeo Dynasty gilt-bronze Buddha statue that was stolen and brought back to Korea from Japan. The trial to determine its rightful place will resume on the 28th of next month. The Civil Division 1 of the Daejeon High Court has scheduled a hearing for the appeal trial regarding the delivery of movable property filed by Buseoksa Temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in Seosan, Chungnam, against the state (Republic of Korea). This is a legal dispute to receive the gilt-bronze seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue imported from Japan to Korea.

The statue was stolen by Korean thieves in October 2012 from Gwaneumsa Temple on Tsushima Island, Japan, and brought into Korea. Buseoksa claims ownership based on the dedication document (a record containing the faith of believers) found inside the statue. They argue that since it was certainly looted by Japanese pirates (Wako), it must be returned.

The dedication document, confirmed around May 1951 when the gilt-bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue was at Gwaneumsa Temple in Japan, states that "this statue was made around 1330 to enshrine it at a temple in Seoju." Seoju is the historical name of Seosan during the Goryeo period.

In the first trial that began in April 2016, the court ruled in favor of Buseoksa. Based on the dedication document, historical records, and research by Japanese scholars, the court judged that the statue was taken by the Wako through abnormal means. Japan expressed regret to our government through regular briefings by the Chief Cabinet Secretary and demanded its return. The prosecution was entrusted with the lawsuit, and an appeal was filed.

The statue is currently at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. The Buseoksa Gilt-Bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue Reinstallation Committee said, "There is a great concern about damage such as rust appearing on the back of the statue's hand and knee," and added, "We hope the trial proceeds smoothly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.