![]() KUHN: "It's clear who owns it, why it was made and what was intended for the statue," he says. It explains that the statue was made in Korea to bring blessings to future generations. Like most Korean documents at the time, it was written in Chinese. KUHN: Monk Wonwoo adds that a document was found inside the statue. But artifacts, cultural treasures, were certainly spirited away during this half century of rule. ![]() University of Connecticut historian Alexis Dudden says that the best-known historical disputes between the two countries stemmed from Japan's colonial rule of South Korea from 1910 to 1945.ĪLEXIS DUDDEN: The sex slaves of the former Japanese empire, forced labor - these are the main topics. While the court recognized that the statue was stolen from Japan, it also says it's highly likely that the statue was previously stolen from Korea by 14th century Japanese pirates. The gilt bronze statue at the heart of the case shows a Buddhist deity sitting cross-legged, eyes likely shut in meditation. KUHN: Monks chant sutras at Wonwoo's temple. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Chanting in Korean). "We wish there was a braver judge in the Republic of Korea." ![]() KUHN: "We're quite disappointed," he said. Korean Buddhist monk Wonwoo - that's his Buddhist name - spoke after the verdict. It overturned an earlier verdict saying the statue belonged to a South Korean temple. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports on the case and what it says about the feuds that divide and the ties that bind the two neighbors.ĪNTHONY KUHN, BYLINE: Last week, a South Korean court ruled that the nearly 700-year-old statue belongs to the Japanese temple from which it was stolen in 2012. Take, for example, the case of an ancient statue both Japan and South Korea claim is theirs. Neighboring countries often share cultural and historical roots.
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