14 Cultural Heritage Items from Chungnam Taken Abroad During Japanese Colonial Rule Returned to Their Original Place

Roof Tile Fragments, Postcards from the Japanese Colonial Era, Souvenirs, and More

Fourteen cultural heritage items from Chungnam, which had been taken overseas during the Japanese colonial period, have returned to their rightful place.

According to the Chungnam Institute of History and Culture on the 28th, Choi Seonil, director of the Northeast Asian Buddhist Art Research Institute, recently donated artifacts he purchased at an auction in Japan to the institute.

The donated items include one roof tile fragment and 13 postcards and souvenirs produced during the Japanese colonial period, totaling 14 pieces.

The roof tile is inscribed in Japanese, indicating it was collected in the 4th year of Taisho (1915) in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do, Joseon. This period was marked by active ancient site surveys conducted by the Government-General of Joseon in Buyeo, during which many cultural assets are believed to have been taken out of the country.

The postcards and souvenirs depict temples such as Gwanchoksa in Nonsan, Muryangsa in Buyeo, and Jeongnimsa Temple Site. In particular, the repeated appearance of the Stone Standing Maitreya Bodhisattva at Gwanchoksa in Nonsan suggests that this statue was recognized as a representative cultural heritage of Chungnam at the time.

The institute plans to hold a special exhibition of Chungnam's cultural heritage to showcase the donated items.

Kim Nakjung, director of the institute, said, "We express our deep gratitude to the donor," and added, "We will continue our efforts to recover Chungnam's cultural heritage from overseas."