Both Korean and Japanese media are present to cover the Goryeo-era Buddha statue's final appearance in Korea at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in Daejeon, Friday, before it returns to Japan. The Gilt-bronze Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva looted by Japanese pirates in 1378 and later stolen by thieves and brought back to Korea in 2012 will be showcased to the public for 100 days at Buseok Temple in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, from Saturday until May 5. Yonhap

A Goryeo-era Buddha Statue, looted by Japanese pirates and later stolen by thieves and brought back to Korea, is set to make a temporary return to its original home.

The 14th-century Korean Buddhist statue, previously housed at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in Daejeon, will be moved to and showcased to the public for 100 days at Buseok Temple in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, before its return to Japan.

People can visit and see the Gilt-bronze Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, a 50.5-centimeter-tall Buddhist statue from the 918-1392 Goryeo Dynasty, from Saturday until Buddha's Birthday that falls on May 5.

This marks a significant homecoming for the statue, which was originally looted in 1378.

The 50.5-centimeter-tall Buddhist statue that Japanese pirates plundered and took to their country had been one of the two bronze statues that Korean thieves stole from Kannon Temple on the Japanese island of Tsushima in October 2012.

Buseok Temple filed a lawsuit in 2016, claiming its ownership based on an inscription on the statue and demanded the return of the statue that had been stored at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage.

Setsuryo Tanaka, chief priest of Kannon Temple on the Japanese island of Tsushima, speaks during a moving ceremony for the Goryeo-era Buddha statue at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in Daejeon, Friday. Yonhap

The inscription states that it was created around 1330 with the intention of enshrining it in a temple in Seoju (the Goryeo-era name for Seosan). However, the Supreme Court ruled in October 2023 that the statute of limitations had expired and that ownership of the statue belonged to Japan.

The statue will be returned to the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage before May 11 and subsequently sent back to Japan.

To ensure the statue's safety, the temple has installed seven surveillance cameras and two heat sensors inside and around Seolbeopjeon Hall where the statue will be enshrined.

Venerable Wonwoo, chief priest of Buseok Temple, expressed mixed emotions about the temporary return. "It's hard to fathom why a Buddha statue, created with the sincere devotion of Goryeo people, should be in Japan, a place with no connection to it," he said. "I believe Japanese Buddhists would feel the same way if they were in our position."

He emphasized the importance of recognizing the cultural value of artifacts and finding a common ground among nations regarding the repatriation of cultural heritage.

Before the ceremony, the Cultural Heritage Service, along with the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office, inspected the Buddha statue with a Japanese team. The team, led by Sesuryo Tanaka of Kannon Temple, verified that the statue was undamaged and signed a handover agreement.

Chief Priest Tanaka said during the moving ceremony, "I believe the compassion of Guan Yin Bodhisattva has guided us to this moment." He expressed deep gratitude to the governments, legislative bodies and religious organizations of both countries for their efforts in returning the Buddha statue, repeatedly saying "Thank you very much" in Korean.

"I hope this gathering will strengthen the bond between Korea and Japan and open new doors for cooperation and growth," he added.