Tsushima Buddha statue theft incident
 Kannon Bosatsu statue stolen from Kannonji Temple, Tsushima | |
| Date | October 6–8, 2012 |
|---|---|
| Location | Tsushima Island, Nagasaki Prefecture,  Japan |
| Type | Theft, Legal dispute |
| Perpetrator | Group of South Korean nationals |
| Participants | 5 |
| Outcome | Statues recovered; ownership dispute followed |
The Tsushima Buddha Statue Theft Incident (Japanese: 対馬仏像盗難事件; Korean: 쓰시마 불상 도난 사건) refers to the theft of two Buddhist statues from temples on Tsushima Island, Japan, in October 2012 by a group of South Korean nationals.[1][2][3] The statues were later recovered in South Korea, where a legal dispute over their ownership led to a conflict between Japan and South Korea, with historical claims from both sides.[4][5][6]
References
[edit]- ^ Daily, The Chosun (2025-01-23). "Stolen Goryeo Buddha statue to be returned to Japan after 13 years". The Chosun Daily. Retrieved 2025-05-04.
- ^ "South Korean court rules Japanese temple owns stolen 700-year-old Buddha statue". South China Morning Post. 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2025-05-04.
- ^ Lhoyd (2014-11-25). "Five South Koreans Arrested in Japan Over Buddha Statue Theft - Khmer Times". Retrieved 2025-05-04.
- ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (2023-10-26). "South Korea Must Return Buddhist Statue to Japan, Supreme Court Says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-04.
- ^ Si-young, Choi (2025-01-19). "Korea's 'stolen' Buddha statue to be returned to Japan". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2025-05-04.
- ^ Shimbun, The Yomiuri (2025-02-01). "Former Chief Priest of Nagasaki Temple Relieved after Seeing Recovered Stolen Buddha Statue at South Korea Temple". japannews.yomiuri.co.jp. Retrieved 2025-05-04.