The National Palace Museum of Korea Presents the Special Exhibition Treasures of Ours Treasured by Others: The Journey of Korean Cultural Heritage

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The National Palace Museum of Korea (Director: Kim In Kyu), located near Gyeongbokgung Station in Seoul, and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation (Secretary General: Kim Kae Sik) are presenting a special exhibition entitled Treasures of Ours Treasured by Others: Journey of Korean Cultural Heritage starting July 7. The exhibition will run through September 25. Admission is free.

A considerable volume of Korean cultural heritage was plundered over the past century as the nation underwent Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War. Large quantities of cultural properties were also taken overseas during the modern era through the collecting efforts of Westerners who had developed an interest in foreign cultures. The exhibition explores the repatriation, study, and future utilization of the roughly 200,000 pieces of Korean cultural properties scattered across twenty-five countries.

The exhibition is comprised of three sections. The first section, entitled “Korean Cultural Heritage in Overseas Collections,” explores the diverse routes through which Korean cultural properties have been taken abroad through examples of relics that have been retrieved. The Odaesan Copy of Joseon wangjo sillok (the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty), which was plundered during the period of Japanese occupation and was repatriated in 2006 through the combined efforts of the government and private sector, and the Junmyeongjibo (Seal of Royal Appointment) State Seal (designated by the government as a Treasure), which was stolen by an American soldier during the Korean War, are among the notable items on display. The White Porcelain Tube-shaped Bottle with Design in Copper Underglaze, which was removed from the country by an American collector, was purchased and returned to Korea in 2022 in recognition of its artistic, historical, and cultural value.

The second section, entitled “For Their Return,” presents the measures through which Korean cultural properties in overseas collections have been returned to Korea. The retrieval of cultural properties confirmed to have been wrongfully taken overseas is sometimes pursued in collaboration with the government where the object is located. There are also cases in which properties have been returned after overseas museums acknowledged the illegality of their removal. Examples include Armor with Leather Lining, which was unconditionally returned by the St. Ottilien Archabbey in Germany, and the Original Edition of the Taewhwangwon Banknote Issued by the Hojo (Ministry of Taxation), which was retrieved from the United States. The museum presents an interactive video together with these artifacts to improve visitor’s understanding of the process of repatriating cultural properties.

The third section, entitled “Treasures of Ours, Treasured by Others,” explores how the bulk of the Korean cultural objects that remain in overseas collections but are not subject to repatriation should be managed. At the government level, South Korea is working to facilitate the utilization of overseas properties in the sites where they are held, including providing support for conservation treatment and exhibition. Many examples of these efforts can be observed through videos.

The final part of the exhibition includes a space where visitors can write their impressions after viewing videos of interviews with staff from the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation who are working to support the conservation and utilization of cultural objects located abroad, from a private company actively supporting the acquisition of overseas properties, and a curator responsible for the organization of the exhibition.

The National Palace Museum of Korea hopes that the exhibition will help to raise further interest in Korean cultural heritage held in overseas collections and provide a platform for sharing constructive criticism and support for future endeavors.

Division: Exhibition & Publicity Division, The National Palace Museum of Korea

Contact person: Lim Kyoung-hee (02-3701-7631), Shin Jae-keun(02-3701-7632)