At the National Palace Museum of Korea on April 1 at 2 p.m., the Cultural Heritage Administration (Administrator Rha Sun-hwa; hereinafter “CHA”) and the Seattle Art Museum (Director Kimerly Rorschach; hereinafter “SAM”) will hold a ceremony marking the return to Korea of the Royal Seal of King Deokjong. Royal seals from the Joseon Dynasty were created to commemorate royal rituals for dynastic family members such as kings and queens. After being elaborately carved, these seals were consecrated in the Jongmyo Shrine. Royal seals are a precious element of cultural heritage that symbolize the national dignity and pride of the people of the Republic of Korea. The Royal Seal of King Deokjong was carved in 1471 by his son King Seongjong (1457-1494, r. 1470-1494) in order to commemorate chujon (a royal ritual in which the official title of king is bestowed upon a figure who died without ascending to the throne), during which King Deokjong was granted the jonho (an honorific byname for a king or a queen) of “Onmun Euikyongwang.” The square base is surmounted by a tortoise with realistically carved face. The seal dramatically represents the majesty and spirit of the Joseon royal court. The seal was a gift from Mrs. Thomas D. Stimson (deceased). Mrs. Stimson purchased the seal from a New York gallery in 1962 and donated it to SAM in February, 1963. From July through November 2014, the CHA and SAM discussed the seal’s return. Throughout this dialog, SAM displayed commendable honesty and open-mindedness. SAM voluntarily determined to return not only the seal to the people of Korea, but also a silk cord crafted by Ms. Kim Eun-Young, a Seoul city important cultural asset. This agreement between the CHA and SAM was made possible by ongoing discourse based on mutual respect and trust together with cultural understanding.