By Chung Ah-young
Public attention on overseas cultural heritages is growing more than ever after Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Japan would return “Uigwe,” or the royal protocols of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), to Korea in his recent apology statement to mark the 100th anniversary of Japan’s forced annexation of Korea.
Currently, a total of 107,857 cultural properties are scattered throughout 18 countries. Some were illegally taken by invaders and others were sold or presented by our own hands during chaotic periods such as Japanese colonial rule (1910-45) and the Korean War (1950-53).
How do we bring back the lost treasures? To reclaim the lost cultural assets, civic groups have made more concerted efforts than the government due to diplomatic and political sensitivity. More importantly, an individual’s action can make a difference in regaining cultural relics scattered around the world.