• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.39
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• pp.131-163
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• 2006

Interest in Korean cultural properties has rising in recent years, not only on the part of existing researcher and scholars but also among the general public. The scope of interest has expand also, no longer being confined to Korea, and has given rise to movements for redemption of cultural properties preserved overseas and plans on how to make use of information about them. Aside from the basic idea that all cultural properties overseas are subjects for redemption, this paper argues that it is time to seek ways to actively make use of information on those cultural properties, and that this must be preceded by dear understanding of the current status through systematic on-site research and investigation of the channels through which they left the country. In addition, it is necessary to look at the issue with a broader perspective. The cultural properties in question must be regarded not as the sole property of Korea, the country that produced them, but as artworks of the world with outstanding universal value, to be protected and utilized by all human beings. From this point of view, this paper organize studies the kinds of Korean cultural properties kept at three major museums in the United Stated, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Roston, and traces the routes and methods by which they were taken out of Korea. Based on the perception of Korean artworks overseas as explained above, the purpose of this paper is to examine materials those cultural properties not only for academic research, but also todistinguish between those properties that should be redeemed and those that should be publicized overseas by clarifying how they were taken overseas, and thus provide basic materials for policy purposes.