[Reporter’s Notebook] Ahn Junggeun’s Returned Calligraphic Works Have No Place to Go

The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation Still Lacks Proper Storage Facilities

Repatriation Makes Headlines, But Safekeeping Remains in the Shadows

The calligraphy 'International Law Is Not as Good as a Great Cannon (萬國公法不如大砲)' left behind by independence activist Ahn Junggeun just before his execution was released to the public on August 13. This is an exceptionally rare artifact that has been authenticated as genuine by comparing the handwriting and fingerprint seal. However, media attention focused less on the authenticity and more on another question: "Where will this be kept?"

The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, which led the repatriation, has been in existence for 14 years but still lacks proper storage facilities. The artifact is currently being held on a temporary basis at the National Palace Museum. Foundation President Park Jeonghye explained, "It is practically difficult to expand our budget or organization." When asked whether this situation would persist, she replied, "It seems it will continue for the time being." While the repatriation is an achievement, management of the artifact remains in question.

The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation has succeeded in repatriating about 5% of the 247,000 Korean cultural assets scattered abroad. Yet, the very institution responsible for retrieving these artifacts has no proper location to store them. This year, the National Heritage Administration's budget is 1.4971 trillion won, a 7.9% increase from the previous year. However, this growth rate falls short of the government's total budget increase of 8.1%. The administration's share of the overall budget also decreased to 0.2057%. Even in the first supplementary budget, which amounted to 26.2 trillion won, the National Heritage Administration received only 1.4 billion won. With such tight finances, there appears to be little room to allocate resources for safeguarding returned artifacts.

Poor management inevitably leads to painful consequences. A representative example is the calligraphy 'One Cannot Discuss the Way with Those Who Are Ashamed of Humble Clothes and Coarse Food (恥惡衣惡食者不足與議)'. Ahn Junggeun wrote this in Lüshun Prison before his execution, meaning, "One cannot discuss right and wrong with those who are embarrassed by shabby clothes and rough food." The artifact was held by Lee Doyeong, founder of Hongik University, designated as a national treasure in 1972, and donated to the Blue House four years later. Suddenly, around 1980, it completely disappeared. To this day, it is not known when or how it went missing.

Calligraphy by Ahn Junggeun: "International Law Is Not As Good As a Great Cannon" / Cultural Heritage Administration.

According to the 'Status of Unrecovered Stolen National Heritage' submitted by the National Heritage Administration to the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee last year, there are 553 cases in which more than 10 years have passed since the theft of national heritage was reported, but the items have not been recovered. Among these, 20 cases involve state-designated heritage. This includes one National Treasure, ten Treasures, five National Intangible Cultural Properties, two Natural Monuments, one National Registered Cultural Heritage, and one Historic Site.

Approximately 60 examples of Ahn Junggeun’s calligraphic works have been confirmed to exist so far. At the National Museum of Korea, 'It Is Difficult for an Ordinary Craftsman to Handle Extraordinary Material (庸工難用連抱奇材)' was donated by a Japanese national, Nishigawa, in 1966. At the Naval Academy Museum, 'It Is the Duty of a General to Take the Lead Before the Enemy (臨敵先進爲將義務)' was purchased by Shin Yonggeuk, CEO of Euro Trading, in 1996 and then given to the navy. At the Dankook University Museum, 'To Preserve the East First One Must Reform Policies, Later Regret Will Be Too Late (欲保東洋先改政略時過失機追悔何及)' was handed over in 1989 by Orita Kanji, nephew of a prison worker at Lüshun Prison. Earlier this February, 'Poor Without Flattery, Rich Without Arrogance (貧而無諂 富而無驕)' from the Tokyo Metropolitan Rokakinen Museum in Japan was brought to Korea for a six-month exhibit at the Ahn Junggeun Memorial Hall before returning to Japan.

While forms of ownership, managing institutions, and inspection standards vary widely, the pattern remains similar: when these artifacts are first unveiled, they attract significant attention, but interest quickly wanes. Momentum to discuss systematic conservation and management likewise diminishes. Repatriation makes headlines, but safekeeping falls into the shadows. Even when the next calligraphic work returns, the same question will remain relevant: "Where will this be kept?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.