Korean thieves stole a Buddha from a Japanese island temple, a Korean temple claimed pirates had stolen it first, and Korea's Supreme Court sent it back

A gilt-bronze seated Bodhisattva stood for centuries in Kannonji temple on Tsushima. In October 2012 thieves from Korea took it and a second statue from the island and brought them to Korea by boat. They were caught in 2013, and the second statue was returned to Japan. Buseoksa temple in Seosan claimed the Bodhisattva. It said a record inside the statue showed it was made at Buseoksa in 1330, and that Japanese pirates raided the region five times between 1352 and 1381. A 2014 Korean government study could not link the raids to the statue. In January 2017 the Daejeon District Court gave the statue to Buseoksa. In January 2023 the Daejeon High Court reversed. On 26 October 2023 the Supreme Court of Korea ruled for Kannonji. It applied the Japanese Civil Code and held that some 600 years of possession had given Kannonji ownership. Buseoksa's chief monk called the decision barbaric. Buseoksa held a 100-day ritual before sending the statue back. It was returned to Kannonji in May 2025, after 12 years away. Kannonji later gave Buseoksa 3D data to make replicas. The Kyushu National Museum showed the statue from 7 July to 30 August 2026.