Four Korean cultural properties that used to be kept at the Camp Hialeah have been handed over to the Cultural Heritage Administration after the US military base in Busan was officially closed in August this year. The returned heritages, three Buddhist statues and one stone monument, are now housed in Busan Museum of Modern Art and expected to be on public display. The return has a significant meaning because it indicates that, from now on, the Korean government manages and protects the Korean heritage at the US bases in Korea in accordance with the Land Partnership Plan.

The Buddhist statues, dubbed “Hialeah Camp Buddhist Statues”, became well known to the public after the Stars and Stripes carried a report on them on January 29^th, 2002. The granite statues are assumed to be made by the same sculptor since they show similarity in the way of production and style. As for their period, opinions vary: from the late Unified Shilla kingdom to the Joseon dynasty. Now that academic researches will be conducted into the returned cultural assets, their exact period can be revealed.

No one is certain whether the stone monument with the inscription “Madu gwanseeum bosal” (Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara with a horse head) is directly connected with the three Buddhist sculptures, or just indicates that a Bodhisattva statue used to stand nearby. To identify the original location of the monument, researchers will study related historical records.

With the official closing of the Camp Hialeah, the four artifacts were transferred to another US base in Daegu for their protection from dangers such as theft. Before being put on public display in the Busan Museum of Modern Art, conservation treatment and researches will be carried out to identify the period, purpose of making and original locations of the ancient objects.

In the past, cultural properties in the US military installations in Korea were beyond the reach of the Korean government because access to the bases was strictly prohibited. But, as comprehensive and systematic researches will be conducted for the next five years, protection measures will be drawn up for the Korean heritages in the US bases.

Korea and the U.S. will make joint efforts, on a systematic and continual basis, to preserve and protect the cultural assets located on USFK installations and training areas, for example the signing of “Procedures for the Protection of Cultural Heritage” through the Cultural Properties Protection Subcommittee established under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

Related Report by Stars & Stripes:

“Army survey IDs cultural, historical sites to be protected in S. Korea” (http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=6122&archive=true)