More than 250,000 pieces of Korean cultural heritage are now located overseas due to theft, looting, gifts, and purchases, according to official figures.
The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation under the Korea Heritage Service announced Sunday that Korean cultural artifacts scattered across various countries total 121,143 items, or 256,190 individual pieces, as of January this year. The findings are based on surveys of 801 institutions including museums and art galleries across 29 countries such as the United States, Germany, and Japan. The figure represents an increase of 8,472 pieces compared to January last year, when the count stood at 247,718.
Japan holds the largest share of Korean cultural heritage abroad. Korean artifacts held by major cultural institutions and private collectors in Japan, including the Tokyo National Museum, number 110,611 confirmed pieces, accounting for approximately 43.2% of all Korean cultural heritage overseas. The United States follows with 68,961 pieces, Germany with 16,082, and the United Kingdom with 15,417.
The circumstances behind the removal of Korean cultural heritage vary widely. Large-scale theft and looting occurred during foreign powers' incursions in the late 19th century and Japanese colonial rule in the early 20th century. Some items were also taken abroad through legitimate transactions, collection activities, donations, or gifts.
"We will definitely recover cultural heritage confirmed to have been looted," Korea Heritage Service Commissioner Heo Min said at a press briefing in July last year. "We will also make every effort to receive items that left the country through other means via donations and similar channels."
A major achievement last year was the return of Gwanwoldang, a royal shrine building that had been taken to Japan during the colonial period and housed at a temple there. As of January, a total of 1,299 items (2,855 pieces) of overseas Korean cultural heritage have been recovered through the foundation, with donations accounting for 96.2% (1,249 items) of all returns.