Supreme Court rules Japan owns Goryeo Buddhist statue brought to Korea by thief
In a trial in which a Korean temple claimed ownership of a Buddhist statue discovered in Korea after being stolen from a temple in Nagasaki Prefecture in 2012 and requested its extradition, claiming that it was looted by Japanese pirates during the Middle Ages, the Korean Supreme Court ruled that ownership of the Buddha statue belongs to Nagasaki Prefecture. Japan’s NHK reported on the 26th that a ruling was made acknowledging that it is located in the current temple.
According to reports, Buseoksa Temple in Seosan was looted by Japanese pirates in the Middle Ages surrounding the gilt-bronze seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, a Buddha statue designated as a tangible cultural property discovered in Korea after being stolen from Kannonji Temple in Tsushima City, Nagasaki Prefecture in 2012. A lawsuit was filed in Korea in April 2016, claiming ownership of the statue and demanding its handover to the Korean government, which stores the Buddha statue.
The first trial district court ordered Buseoksa Temple to deliver the Buddha statue, but the second trial high court ruled in February this year that Kannonji had openly owned the Buddha statue for over 20 years, and that the delivery could not be acknowledged, contrary to the first trial, and the plaintiff I appealed against this.
The Supreme Court dismissed the plaintiff’s lawsuit on the 26th, saying, “Under Japanese civil law, Kannonji is recognized as having acquired ownership of the Buddha statue in 1973, 20 years after it gained legal personality,” and acknowledged that ownership of the Buddha statue belongs to Kannonji. made a ruling.
As the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of the plaintiff, Buseoksa Temple, the seven and a half year long litigation ended with the Supreme Court’s final decision. Accordingly, the Japanese government plans to request the Korean government to return the Buddha statue early to Japan.
Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hideki Murai said at a press conference this morning, “During the trial, Kannon-ji, who had the stolen Buddha statue, claimed to be the owner of the Buddha statue as an auxiliary participant, and I believe the ruling is based on this claim.”
He continued, “The (Japanese) government will put pressure on the Korean government and liaise with relevant officials, including Kannonji, to respond appropriately so that the Buddha statue can be returned to Kannonji as early as possible.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.