Turtle-shaped royal seal returns to Korea

The Cultural Heritage Administration held a ceremony for the return of the Royal Seal of King Deokjong, or Deokjong Eobo, at the National Palace Museum of Korea on Wednesday.

The eyes, nose and mouth of the handle shaped like a turtle are very realistic. Eobo is a seal manufactured when a title is given to a king or a queen during the Joseon Dynasty. The Royal Seal of King Deokjong was made by King Seongjong to honor his father, King Deokjong, who died at an early age.

The seal had been removed from the original site after the Japanese colonial rule, before being donated to the Seattle Art Museum in the U.S. in 1963. It has returned to Korea after negotiations last year.

salt@donga.com