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trial is ongoing over the gilt-bronze Bodhisattva statue of Buseoksa Temple in Seosan, a Buddhist statue from the Goryeo Dynasty.
It is a Buddhist statue that a thief stole from Japan and brought to Korea, but a Japanese temple official who was present at the trial argued that it was inherited from Joseon when the temple was built.
This is TJB reporter Lee Soo-bok.
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This is a seated gilt-bronze Gwaneum Bodhisattva that a Korean thief stole from Gwaneumsa Temple on Tsushima Island, Japan in 2012.
Enlarging an image
Buseoksa Temple in Seosan filed a lawsuit against the Korean government claiming that the Buddha statue was stolen by the Japanese during the Goryeo Dynasty and won in the first trial.
It is said that ownership is recognized by including the old name of Seosan, 'Seoju', in the text of the marriage relationship found inside the statue.
The South Korean government, which is in the position that it should be returned to Japan as it was stolen, appealed, and the second trial is ongoing.
A Japanese official from Gwaneumsa appeared for the first time and claimed ownership of the statue, saying that Murase, the founder of Gwaneumsa, inherited it while practicing Buddhism in Joseon.
[Tanaka Setsuryo/Juji of Kannon Temple in Japan: We have been strongly insisting that the ownership belongs to us.
We demanded a fair and fair judgment from the judges based on the law.]
However, when the judge asked if there was any evidence to prove this, he said, "It has been passed down by word of mouth.
" [Monk Wonwoo / Former Governor of
Buseoksa
Temple: (The founder of Gwaneumsa) came to Joseon to practice and made many claims, but it might take some time to review because there are so many claims of subordinates. ….]
The Japanese side was very interested in this trial, as dozens of Japanese reporters directly watched the trial, and while the
appeal hearing is scheduled for August 17th, the Japanese side will only participate in writing.