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Buddhist paintings stolen from Daegu temple returned after 27 years

Published: 25 Sep. 2025, 19:43

The Samjang Bosaldo (Bodhisattvas of the Three Worlds), a Buddhist painting stolen from Yongyeon Temple, a temple in Daegu, is shown in this photo provided by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on Sept. 25. [JOGYE ORDER]

Two stolen Buddhist paintings from Yongyeon Temple in Daegu have returned to Korea from Japan after 27 years.

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism said Thursday it received the Yeongsan Hoesangdo (The Assembly on Vulture Peak) and the Samjang Bosaldo (Bodhisattvas of the Three Worlds) from a Japanese holder who donated the pieces.

The order brought them back to Korea last month and is keeping them at a Buddhist cultural heritage preservation center in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi.

The Yeongsan Hoesangdo depicts Buddha delivering a sermon at Vulture Peak in the ancient Indian kingdom of Magadha. The Samjang Bosaldo portrays the heavenly deity Cheonjang Bosal, the earthly deity Jiji Bosal and the underworld deity Jijang Bosal.

The monk Seoljam painted the Yeongsan Hoesangdo in 1731 with several other monks, acting as the lead painter, or suwhaseung.

This is the first confirmed case of Seoljam leading such a project. Supporting painters included monks Pogeun, Segwan and Seolsim, who were active in temples such as Tongdo, Jikji and Mihwang. One of the sponsors was Lady Cho Bin-gung (1716-51), consort of Crown Prince Hyojang, the eldest son of King Yeongjo. This is the only known case of her supporting a temple project.

The Samjang Bosaldo was created in 1744 by the monk Sutan and others. The style follows that of Chejun, a disciple of Uigyun, a monk who produced a similar piece at Donghwasa, also a temple in Daegu. The painting distinguishes itself with changes in the depiction of Cheonjang Bosal and by adding more attendant figures, which enhanced both composition and expression.

The Yeongsan Hoesangdo (The Assembly on Vulture Peak), a Buddhist painting stolen from Yongyeon Temple, a temple in Daegu, is shown in this photo provided by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on Sept. 25. [JOGYE ORDER]

The two paintings were stolen between late September and early October 1998, when thieves cut the wooden rods fixing them in place at Yongyeon Temple. They remained missing for decades.

The Jogye Order continued to announce the theft through various channels. In March of this year, a Japanese holder who inherited the works contacted the order and offered to donate them.

"I inherited the paintings from my father but thought it best to return them to their rightful place, as they are sacred treasures and part of Korea’s cultural heritage," the holder said, according to the order.

At a ceremony on Thursday, Venerable Seongwon, head of the Jogye Order’s cultural affairs department, said, “The donor realized the works were stolen and showed goodwill by ensuring they could return to their original temple. We express our gratitude for this act.”

The order sent experts to Japan to verify the authenticity of the works before receiving the donation. After clearing customs, the pieces were placed under the care of the preservation center in Yangpyeong. The two paintings, which were damaged during the theft and years of private storage, are expected to undergo preservation treatment there.

“The recovered Yeongsan Hoesangdo and Samjang Bosaldo are of national cultural heritage value," the order said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHOI MIN-JI [[email protected]]