Goryeo Buddhist Statue from Tsushima to Be Returned to Japan on May 10... 13 Years After Theft

"Issue That Negatively Affected Korea-Japan Relations...
Resolved After About Twelve and a Half Years"

The Gilt-bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue from the Goryeo Dynasty, which was stolen from a temple on Tsushima Island, Japan, in October 2012 and smuggled into South Korea, is scheduled to be returned to Japan on May 10.

Kyodo News reported on April 23 that "the Gilt-bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue, for which a South Korean court recognized Japanese ownership, is currently at Buseoksa Temple in Seosan, its former enshrinement site." The report continued, "Buseoksa Temple is holding a Buddhist ceremony for public viewing of the statue from late January until May 5."

Goryeo Buddha statue that must return to Japan. Yonhap News

According to the report, after the ceremony concludes, the statue will be sent to the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in Daejeon before being transferred to Japan prior to May 11.

The news agency stated, "A final Buddhist ceremony will be held in South Korea on the morning of May 10, and arrangements are being made for a professional transport company to handle the transfer." It also noted, "Depending on the flight schedule, the statue may arrive in Japan after May 11." In Japan, it is expected that the statue will be taken first to Kannonji Temple on Tsushima Island, its original location, and then stored at the Tsushima Museum.

The report added, "If the return is realized, an issue that has negatively affected Korea-Japan relations will be resolved approximately twelve and a half years after the theft."

Buseoksa Temple had claimed ownership of the statue, arguing that it was a cultural property looted by Japanese pirates in the past after being stolen by a South Korean theft ring. However, the Supreme Court of Korea ruled that, under the legal principle of 'acquisitive prescription,' which recognizes ownership transfer after a certain period of undisputed possession even if the item originally belonged to another party, ownership of the statue belongs to Kannonji Temple in Japan.