Police Crack Down on Stolen Art Trade

The police arrested curators, human cultural asset, calligrapher and an artist who purchased cultural assets stolen from temples, old houses and Confucianist memorial halls nationwide and kept them privately or put them on display in private museums.

The Seoul National Police Agency investigation squad charged six people, including the curator of H museum Kwon (65), human cultural asset and curator of M museum Park (58), calligrapher Moon (51), and Buddhist paintings specialist Hu (42), for violation of cultural property protection act, and confiscated 516 cultural properties.

According to the police, they are under accusations of purchasing and concealing a total of 252 pieces of stolen cultural assets from specialist larcenists and art brokers since the early 1990s up until now.

Included in these cultural assets were the artwork “Yeongsan-recollection,” which was painted in 1741 and in the possession of Gwanryong temple in Changneong-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, the “Amita-paradise recollection” and other Buddhist paintings owned by Baekyang temple in Jangseong-gun, South Jeolla Province, a temple bell of Bulhoe temple in Naju-si, South Jeolla Province, six foundation stones of a stone pagoda from the united Shilla era, a book by Myeonam Choi Ik-hyeon, and wooden engraving blocks and books from the Joseon Dynasty era.

Police explained, “An official estimate of the prices has not been made, but according to the testimony of the victims of the burglaries, the total price of the stolen assets may reach 50 billion won.”

During the inquiry by police, Kwon and others denied the charges, saying, “I just picked up what was discarded in front of my house,” and, “I didn’t know it was stolen.”

Meanwhile, included in the confiscated goods were 264 pieces of the 213th Tangible Cultural Asset of South Jeolla Province, the wooden blocks of “Gang-gam-hoe-yo” (stolen in 2002), which was found in the parking lot of “M” cabaret located in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul last month.

imsun@donga.com