A 14th-century Korean Buddhist statue—believed to have been looted from a temple in South Korea some 700 years ago, then stolen back to Korea from Japan in 2012—has temporarily returned to its original home, the Buddhist temple Buseok-sa, near Seosan City in South Korea’s South Chungcheong Province, where it is on public display for 100 days before being returned to Japan in May.

The gilt-bronze image of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (also known as Guanyin), which has been dated to Korea’s Goryeo period (918–1392), was until recently housed in Korea’s National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in the city of Daejeon, before being placed on show at Buseok-sa, believed to have been first founded in 677 CE by the renowned monk Uisang-daesa (625–702 CE).

Formally known as the Gilt-bronze Seated Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, the statue is 50.5 centimeters in height and weighs 38.6 kilograms. The exhibition marks the statue’s first return to Buseok-sa in 647 years, based on researchers’ estimates that it was removed from the temple in 1378.

According to a disputed history of the statue, it was looted from Buseok-sa in the 14th century by Japanese pirates, and found its way to Kannon-ji, a Buddhist temple on the island of Tsushima in Japan’s Nagasaki Prefecture.

In October, 2012, the bronze statue was stolen from Kannon-ji by Korean thieves. Nine traffickers were traced and arrested, and subsequently prosecuted in 2013. Police also alerted Buseok-sa, the temple believed to be the original owner.

Buseok-sa filed a temporary injunction in 2016, claiming proof of ownership based on an inscription, preventing its immediate transfer back to Japan. The statue’s inscription, found written on cloth inside the sculpture, states that the image was crafted c. 1330, and intended to be enshrined in a temple in Seoju—the Goryeo-period name for Seosan. The statue was housed at the National Institute of Cultural Heritage during the interim.

In October 2023, South Korea’s Supreme Court in South Korea ruled that Kannon-ji was the rightful owner of the sculpture as the statute of limitations for disputing the ownership had expired.*

The Avalokiteshvara statue will be on display at Buseok-sa until 5 May, which marks the Buddha’s birth celebration this year. The artifact will then be transported back to the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage by 11 May, before being returned to Japan.

Surveillance cameras and heat sensors have been installed in and around Buseok-sa’s Seolbeopjeon Hall, where Avalokiteshvara will be enshrined, to ensure that no more mishaps befall the statue.

A ceremony to relocate the statue was conducted on 24 January at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, following the signing of a handover agreement by chief priest Sesuryo Tanaka of Kannon-ji.

Speaking during the occasion, Ven. Wonwoo, the chief monk of Buseok-sa, noted with emotion: “It’s difficult to fathom why a [Buddhist] statue, created with the sincere devotion of Goryeo people, should be in Japan, a place with no connection to it. I believe Japanese Buddhists would feel the same way if they were in our position.” (The Korea Times)

Ven. Wonwoo underscored the importance of countries respecting the cultural value of such artifacts and reaching common ground on the repatriation of cultural heritage.

Meanwhile, Chief Priest Tanaka observed: “I believe the compassion of Guanyin Bodhisattva has guided us to this moment.” He expressed gratitude to the governments, legislative bodies and religious organizations of Korea and Japan for their efforts to return the statue. (The Korea Times)

The Goryeo (고려) dynasty was established in 918 by King Taejo Wang Geon. It united the Later Three Kingdoms (892–936) in 936 and ruled most of the Korean Peninsula until it was displaced by the founder of the Joseon kingdom, Yi Seong-gye, in 1392. Goryeo expanded the country’s borders to present-day Wonsan in the northeast (936–943), the Yalu River (993), eventually expanding to cover almost all of the present-day Korean Peninsula (1374).

While the achievements of Goryeo include establishing relations with the southern kingdoms of what is now China to stabilize national sovereignty, and progressive taxation policies, Goryeo is perhaps most notable for providing an environment in which the arts were able to flourish, leading to the creation of countless sophisticated works by this Buddhist state. Buddhism in Goryeo also evolved in ways that rallied support for the state to protect the kingdom from external threats.

According to survey data from 2024, the majority of South Korea’s population—51 per cent—holds no religious affiliation. Christians make up the largest religious segment of the population at 31 per cent, while Buddhists account for 17 per cent. Buddhism is reported to be the fastest-growing religion in South Korea in recent years, amid growth in interest among young people.

* Court Orders Stolen Buddhist Statue in South Korea to be Returned to Japan (BDG)

See more

Goryeo-era Buddha statue, looted by Japan, returns home temporarily after 647 years (The Korea Times)
Goryeo Buddha statue to return to Japan after 100-day public display (The Dong-a Ilbo)
Stolen Goryeo Buddha statue to be returned to Japan after 13 years (The Chosun Daily)
Japanese temple to retake 14th century relic in May after prolonged legal fight (The Korea Herald)

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