Buddhist Statues Presumed to Be from the Goryeo Dynasty Unearthed at Myohyangsan and Geumgangsan in North Korea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Buddha statues believed to have been made during the Goryeo Dynasty were excavated from Myohyangsan and Geumgangsan in North Korea.

The external propaganda media Naenara recently announced on the 30th that a gold and silver Yaksa Triad Buddha statue and a gilt-bronze Amitabha Triad Buddha statue were excavated from Myohyangsan and Geumgangsan, respectively.

According to the analysis by the Advanced Technology Development Institute at Kim Il-sung University, the gold and silver Yaksa Triad Buddha statue from Myohyangsan is primarily composed of silver with a gold plating on the surface. The central Buddha statue was 8.9 cm tall and weighed 200 g, while the Sunlight Bodhisattva on the left measured 7.9 cm in height and weighed 140 g, and the Moonlight Bodhisattva on the right was 7.8 cm tall and weighed 170 g.

The gilt-bronze Amitabha Triad Buddha statue from Geumgangsan was found to be mainly composed of bronze with gold plating. The Amitabha Buddha statue was 16 cm tall and weighed 900 g, with the Guanyin Bodhisattva on the left measuring 14 cm in height and weighing 580 g, and the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva on the right standing 13.4 cm tall and weighing 530 g.

On the back of the Amitabha Buddha statue, the inscription "Gwangamsa" was engraved. Gwangamsa was a temple located in Haeseon-ri, Kaesong City, in front of the tomb of King Gongmin, the 31st ruler of the Goryeo Dynasty, and was reportedly abolished during the Joseon Dynasty, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

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