32 Stolen Buddhist Cultural Assets Returned to Their Place... Gobulsik Ceremony on the 23rd

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and the Cultural Heritage Administration will hold a Buddha Return Ceremony for 32 Buddhist cultural assets at 2 p.m. on the 23rd at the Korean Buddhist History and Culture Memorial Hall.

The 32 returned cultural assets are Buddhist statues and paintings that were stolen from 14 temples nationwide, including Bogyeongsa Temple, between 1988 and 2004 and were hidden for a long time. In 2020, a total of 32 statues and paintings were discovered at the suspect’s residence, who was caught trying to auction off stolen Buddhist paintings, and after legal procedures, they have been restored to their original places.

Bokyungsa Yeongsanhwesangdo
Photo by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism

Among the returned cultural assets are many treasure-level cultural properties, including the Yeongsanhwesangdo of Bogyeongsa Temple and the Yeongsanhwegwaebul of Yugasa Temple. However, some statues were found to have severe gaps or damage in the wood, and some paintings were repainted or additionally mounted, causing damage to their original form.

The Jogye Order stated, “After the Buddha Return Ceremony, the returned Buddhist cultural heritage will be transported to their original temples for enshrinement,” and added, “We will strive to improve systems to prevent theft and ensure the prompt return to their original places (hwanji bonche, a Buddhist term meaning returning to the original place), such as expanding the statute of limitations related to theft under the Cultural Heritage Protection Act and abolishing the good-faith acquisition system for cultural properties.”

Meanwhile, on the day of the ceremony, the Jogye Order plans to present plaques of appreciation to four individuals who played a significant role in the return of the cultural assets: Lee Jaewon, Safety Standards Manager of the Cultural Heritage Administration; Jeong Jinhee, Cultural Heritage Appraisal Committee member; Choi Eunryeong, Cultural Heritage Appraisal Committee member; and Kang Sangwoo, Police Lieutenant of the National Police Agency.