Yoon lauds return of Buddhist relics as symbol of closer ties with U.S.

Politics

Published: 19 May. 2024, 16:24 Updated: 19 May. 2024, 19:04

Yoon lauds return of Buddhist relics as symbol of closer ties with U.S.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, and first lady Kim Keon Hee, second from left, attend a ceremony marking the return of rare 14th-century Buddhist relics from the United States to Korea in Yangju, Gyeonggi on Sunday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol highlighted the return of rare 14th-century Buddhist relics from a U.S. museum as a testament to closer Seoul-Washington relations during a ceremony marking their repatriation in Yangju, Gyeonggi, on Sunday.

The remains of Buddhist monks from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), known as "sarira," were returned to Korea from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston some 85 years after they were reportedly illegally taken out of the country during the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial period before being purchased by the museum in 1939.

The relics are believed to have originated from Hoeam Temple in Yangju, and the ceremony took place where the temple once stood.

In his congratulatory remarks, Yoon called this return "an auspicious event for our Buddhist community and a truly happy day for all of our people."

He recalled the "long and difficult" 15-year process of returning the relics to Korea, calling them a "precious national heritage symbolizing the legitimacy and spiritual lineage of Korean Buddhism."

In February, the Museum of Fine Arts agreed to return the remains to the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect in the country, an effort that dates back to 2009.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and first lady Kim Keon Hee, center, pray during a ceremony marking the return of rare 14th-century Buddhist relics from the United States to Korea in Yangju, Gyeonggi, on Sunday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Some 4,000 people attended the ceremony, including Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Dong-yeon, lawmakers, Buddhist lawmakers and first lady Kim Keon Hee, who returned to public official duties last week.

On Thursday, Kim accompanied Yoon to an official luncheon for Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet and First Lady Pech Chanmony. This marked Kim's first public appearance since last December when the presidential couple returned from a visit to the Netherlands amid allegations that she received a luxury handbag from a pastor.

Kim is said to have opened the door for the resumption of discussions to get the relics returned, making the request when she visited the Museum of Fine Arts last year after negotiations fizzled in 2013.

Yoon and Kim had been on a state visit to the United States in April 2023, which included a stop in Boston. The first lady at the time stressed that this would be a "meaningful event for the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance" in talks with Matthew Teitelbaum, director of the Museum of Fine Arts.

This prompted talks to resume between the museum and the Korea Heritage Service, formerly known as the Cultural Heritage Administration.

The Jogye Order said that the first lady played a "crucial role" in enabling the return of the relics.

Aside from diplomatic activities, this marks Kim's first public activity in 169 days, after her visit to the memorial altar of Ven. Jaseung, the late leader of the Jogye Order, on Dec. 2.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, attends a ceremony marking the 44th anniversary of the Gwangju Democratization Movement at the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju on Saturday, alongside students and families of victims. He attended the ceremony marking the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju for the third consecutive year. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

On Saturday, Yoon took part in a ceremony marking the 44th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement in Gwangju for the third consecutive year.

"The Republic of Korea of today stands on the blood and tears shed by Gwangju," Yoon said as he marked the anniversary of the 1980 pro-democracy uprising.

The ceremony held at the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju was attended by some 2,500 people, including lawmakers across the political aisle and families of victims.

Yoon first attended the ceremony after taking office on May 10, 2022, and is the second incumbent president to attend the Gwangju democratization movement event for three consecutive years while in office, in the steps of former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]