"Daemyeongryul" Stripped of Treasure Status After Found to Be Stolen Property... First-Ever Revocation of Designation

"Follow-up Measures Taken After Guilty Verdict and Execution of Sentence"

The "Daemyeongryul," which had been designated as a treasure after passing through the hands of a thief, has been stripped of its status. On April 29, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced in the government gazette that it would cancel the administrative decision regarding the treasure designation. This is the first time that a national designation such as National Treasure or Treasure has been revoked. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "This is a follow-up measure in consideration of the guilty verdict and execution of sentence related to the inducement of a false designation (regarding the treasure)."

Treasure No. 1906 Daemyeongryul

The "Daemyeongryul" is a foundational document of criminal law from the Joseon Dynasty. It is a Ming Dynasty legal code (a system of laws regarding crimes and punishments), believed to have been published in 1389. It is considered rare, as there are no known copies preserved either domestically or abroad. However, controversy arose just over four months after its designation as a treasure. In 2016, the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency (then Gyeonggi Northern Police Agency) identified it as stolen property while apprehending tomb raiders and thieves who had stolen cultural heritage from temples, historic sites, and old houses nationwide. In fact, the "Daemyeongryul" had been reported stolen in 2011.

According to the investigation at the time, the director of a private museum in North Gyeongsang Province purchased the "Daemyeongryul" for 15 million won from a dealer handling stolen goods in 2012 and applied for its designation as a treasure. He falsely claimed that he had inherited the artifact from his late father. When it was discovered that he had purchased stolen property, he was prosecuted for violating the Cultural Heritage Protection Act and was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison.

The Cultural Heritage Administration determined that there was a serious flaw in the designation process because the provenance of the artifact submitted by the applicant at the time of the treasure designation was found to be false. Last month, the agency decided to revoke the designation. However, this does not mean that the artifact has lost its value as cultural heritage. If it is determined that a cultural heritage item has lost its value, a procedure is followed to remove its designation. In the case of the "Daemyeongryul," the value as heritage remains intact, but the designation process itself was problematic. Once ownership is clearly established in the future, it may be redesignated as a treasure through proper procedures. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration, the "Daemyeongryul" is a heritage item that has been held by the Yukshindang of the Ryu Jinhui family in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.