Obama returns royal seals

The 19th century Hwangjejibo (Seal of the Emperor) made by King Gojong is one of nine royal treasures that have been returned to Korea during U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit. / Courtesy of the Cultural Heritage Administration

By Do Je-hae

Cultural gestures have a significant place in U.S. President Barack Obama's trip to Korea.

Upon arrival, Obama visited the War Memorial of Korea and Gyeongbok Palace, making him the first U.S. president to visit the two cultural landmarks that represent crucial periods in the nation's history.

Gyeongbok Palace is the largest royal residence built during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) located in central Seoul. The War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul, is dedicated to remembering the Korean War (1950-1953) and the military history of Korea.

Obama paid tribute to Americans who fought with Korea, at the Memorial that consists of rows of black marble monuments inscribed with the names of the U.N. troops who lost their lives during the war.

In a summit with his counterpart President Park Geun-hye, Obama returned nine royal treasures from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) that were illegally removed by U.S. soldiers during the Korean War. The items were repatriated during a ceremony in Cheong Wa Dae, marking an important step in the nation’s efforts to retrieve looted art.

The ceremony marks the return of three state seals, which Joseon kings used on official documents, and six ceremonial ones used by members of the royal family.

The item that holds the most academic and historical significance is the Hwangjejibo (Seal of the Emperor) that King Gojong made upon the establishment of the Korean Empire in 1897, succeeding the Joseon Kingdom.

In November, U.S. customs authorities obtained the seals from the family of a deceased U.S. Marine lieutenant who served during the Korean War.

The 1978 UNESCO Cultural Property Implementation Act calls for the “return of cultural property to its countries of origin or its restitution” in cases where “illicit appropriation was established.”

The seals will be displayed at the National Palace Museum of Korea in an exhibition starting in May.