National Treasure 'Sehando' Donor Invited by Cheong, President Moon Personally Welcomes and Bows

Master Son Chang-geun, Donor of Chusa Kim Jeong-hui's 'Sehando', Invited to Cheong... Gratitude for Two Generations' Cultural Heritage Preservation and Leadership Exemplification

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "The pine tree in 'Sehando,' which endured the long winter steadfastly, and Mr. Son Chang-geun's passionate love for cultural heritage are hoped to bring warm hope and comfort to the people exhausted by COVID-19."

On the afternoon of the 9th, President Moon Jae-in invited Mr. Son Chang-geun, the donor of the national treasure 'Sehando' by Chusa Kim Jeong-hui, to the Blue House to express his gratitude.

President Moon provided support to ensure Mr. Son Chang-geun's comfortable transfer to the Blue House by sending a vehicle and a senior administrative officer in charge. The president personally went out to greet the vehicle's arrival, showing meticulous consideration and respect for the donor. First Lady Kim Jung-sook also expressed her thanks by gifting Mr. Son and his family the seal inscription 'Jangmusangmang (長毋相忘)' contained in Sehando, along with handmade dried persimmons and lap blankets.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Blue House explained, "This meeting was arranged to commemorate the awarding of the Gold Crown Cultural Medal at the '2020 Cultural Heritage Protection Merit Awards' hosted by the Cultural Heritage Administration on the 8th," adding, "The Gold Crown Cultural Medal, the highest honor among cultural medals, is being awarded for the first time since the government started cultural heritage awards in 2004."

Attendees at the meeting included Mr. Son Chang-geun, his child Professor Son Seong-gyu of Yonsei University and spouse, Minister Park Yang-woo of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Min Byung-chan, Director of the National Museum of Korea. Mr. Son donated a total of 305 pieces, including Chusa Kim Jeong-hui's 'Sehando,' to the National Museum of Korea in two installments in 2018 and 2020. His late father, Son Se-gi, donated 200 pieces to Sogang University in 1974.

President Moon said, "'Sehando' is what I described in the newspaper as 'Mugajibo (無價之寶),' a treasure beyond price. I truly resonate with that expression," adding, "From my perspective, 'Sehando' is probably the finest national treasure among our country's national treasures, especially in the category of calligraphy and paintings."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon added, "'Sehando' itself beautifully expresses the noble spirit and dignity of Chusa, who was exiled to Jeju Island at the time."

He continued, "In the inscription given to his disciple Lee Sang-jeok, Chusa sincerely and profoundly expressed his gratitude for the precious books published in Qing China that were brought to him during his exile, using the metaphor that only in the cold winter does one realize that the pine and cypress do not wither."

President Moon said, "The calligraphy is an excellent example of Chusa's style, and the writing is deeply moving, perfectly harmonizing with the painting to become a masterpiece," and expressed his gratitude once again for the precious decision to donate.

Meanwhile, the attendees took commemorative photos with the Sehando image as the background. The donated cultural properties, including Sehando, have been on special display at the National Museum of Korea since November 24 and will continue to be used for permanent exhibitions and art historical research.

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