Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations

by H.E. Amb. Cho Chang Beom, Deputy Permanent Representative
at the 52nd Session of the General Assembly

Mr. President,

It was nearly 25 years ago that the General Assembly first addressed the issue of the restitution of cultural property to its countries of origin. My delegation is gratified to see that today the General Assembly is once again considering this pressing issue, which has acquired added urgency over the past few years due to the increased international awareness of its importance.

In this regard, my delegation welcomes the Report by the Director-General of UNESCO, contained in document A/52/211. The Director-General's report provides a helpful account of the work that is being done to promote the return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin, and highlights the need for the international community to cooperate more closely in this area.

Mr. President,

Cultural property is the embodiment of the history and culture of a nation, and therefore we believe it can be best valued and appreciated when it is preserved in its country of origin. However, over the course of history -- particularly during periods of armed conflict and colonization -- numerous priceless cultural artifacts have been taken by illegal means from their original resting places to locations abroad. This problem is of particular significance to Korea, as numerous Korean cultural objects have been pillaged and illegally transferred abroad during our country's history of political turmoil, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Korean Government has launched an effort to locate these missing cultural objects by investigating the background of their illicit transfer. As part of this effort, we are compiling an extensive inventory of all Korean cultural properties abroad, with a view to seeking their return or restitution, mainly through bilateral negotiations with the countries concerned.

Through these efforts, we have been able to achieve some concrete results. A total of 1,659 objects have been voluntarily returned through bilateral agreements with the Japanese Government. An additional 1,642 items have been returned through public and private donations, mostly from Japan. We are grateful to those countries concerned for their invaluable cooperation.

In this regard, we commend the UNESCO Inter-governmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation for the important role it has played in promoting bilateral negotiations between requesting and holding countries, and in arousing international public opinion on this important issue. My delegation believes that the activities of UNESCO and other relevant organizations in this regard should be strengthened, through the support of the United Nations and the cooperation of concerned countries, so as to encourage the return of cultural property to its rightful owners.

As we all know, the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and other international conventions and instruments provide a framework to facilitate the return of cultural property and prohibit illicit trafficking in objets d'art. However, many of the countries which have acquired cultural property by illegal means have not abided by these international conventions. Some of those countries have also yet to demonstrate a sincere spirit of cooperation in bilateral negotiations on this issue. My delegation therefore wishes to express its regret that lack of political will on the part of some countries is impeding progress towards the just return of illegally acquired cultural properties.

Mr. President,

It is our firm belief that in order to treasure and protect the rich cultural heritage of humankind for generations to come, the international community must do all it can to preserve the respective cultural artifacts of each country, and ensure that those artifacts and objects are restored to their rightful countries of origin. The Republic of Korea will strive to contribute to that vital task, and would like to urge its fellow member states to do the same by continuing to foster an environment in which cultural properties can be returned or restituted in a timely manner.

Thank you.