Korean Buddhist Statue, a Point of Conflict in Korea-Japan Relations, Returns to Japan After 12 Years

A Korean Buddhist statue that was smuggled into Korea has been decided to be returned to Tsushima Island, Japan, through a lawsuit.

On the 10th, the Kannonji Temple on Tsushima Island received the Korean Buddhist statue (Golden Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva) directly from Beopseongsa Temple in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, after the return decision was made.

According to Kyodo News, the Kannonji side, which arrived at Tsushima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture on the 12th, plans to first move the statue to the temple for a religious ceremony and then transfer it to the Tsushima Museum for safe storage.

This statue, presumed to have been looted by Japanese pirates in the past, was kept at Kannonji for about 500 years until it was stolen by thieves and smuggled into Korea by October 2012. Subsequently, a prolonged legal dispute over ownership ensued between Beopseongsa and Kannonji, ultimately resulting in its return to Japan.

Kyodo News reported, "After the theft incident in October 2012, this issue, which had adversely affected relations between the two countries for approximately 12 and a half years, has reached a resolution."

The Supreme Court of Korea acknowledged Kannonji's ownership of the statue based on the legal principle of 'acquisitive prescription', which considers that ownership can pass if there has been possession without issue for a certain period.

Before sending the statue to Japan, Beopseongsa requested a Buddhist ritual (法要) to be held for 100 days, which Kannonji accepted, allowing the statue to stay at Beopseongsa for about three months before it was finally handed over to Kannonji.

This news garnered significant attention in Japan, gathering over 700 comments on Yahoo Japan, the country's largest portal.

Japanese netizens expressed varied reactions; while some welcomed the return of the statue, the majority pointed out that the return was delayed, questioned the need for confirmation of whether it was a replica, and called for an official apology from Korea.

Among the most resonant comments from Japanese netizens were remarks such as, "Returning it is not enough. After causing trouble for 12 and a half years, your country should provide a sincere apology, as you always demand from Japan. Careful checks are necessary as it might have been swapped," and "Even if it was stolen, is the return all there is to it? As a matter of state-to-state relations, the President of Korea should issue an apology and also pay compensation to the temple."

Image source: Photo provided by Seosan City, Photo provided by Seosan City Hall.