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South Korea has returned a pair of Qing dynasty stone lion statues to China, a move described by officials as a milestone in cultural exchange and a symbolic gesture as the two nations work to repair bilateral relations through cultural diplomacy. The handover ceremony took place on July 23 at the Kansong Art Museum in Seoul, where the statues had stood for more than eight decades.

The male and female lions, each 1.9 meters tall and weighing 1.25 tons, were transferred to Chinese cultural authorities during an event attended by senior officials from both countries, including the director of the National Museum of Korea (NMK), the director of the Kansong Art Museum, the chief of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration, and the Chinese ambassador to South Korea.

Coverage comparison

Reports of the ceremony from South China Morning Post and Yonhap News Agency agree on the core facts: the statues were purchased by the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation in the 1930s and had been a fixture at the museum's entrance. Both outlets note that the return follows an agreement signed in January during a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, and that the statues will be displayed at a Chinese national museum after restoration.

However, the two reports differ in emphasis. The South China Morning Post frames the return primarily as a symbol of improving bilateral ties, noting that the plan to return the sculptures was shelved after the 2016 deployment of the US THAAD missile defense system in South Korea, which Beijing viewed as a security threat. The report also notes that momentum for the return gathered pace with improved relations since Lee took office in 2025.

Yonhap, South Korea's leading wire service, emphasizes the cultural and historical significance, quoting NMK Director You Hong-june, who called the return "a milestone of cultural exchange and solidarity between South Korea and China." Yonhap also reports that the statues were purchased at an auction market in Japan and that Korean art collector "Kansong" Jeon Hyeong-pil, who died in 1962, is believed to have said the statues should be returned to China in the future.

Key claims

  • The statues were officially handed over at a ceremony at Kansong Art Museum in Seoul on July 23, as reported by both Yonhap and the South China Morning Post.
  • The statues were purchased by the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation in the 1930s and had stood at the museum's entrance for over eight decades, according to both outlets.
  • The agreement to return the statues was signed in January during a summit between President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, as reported by both sources.
  • The ceremony was attended by NMK Director You Hong-june, Kansong Art Museum Director Chun In-keon, Rao Quan, chief of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration, and Chinese Ambassador Dai Bing, according to Yonhap.
  • The statues will be displayed at a Chinese national museum after their return and restoration, a claim carried by Yonhap.
  • The return is a symbolic gesture as the two nations work to repair bilateral ties, a framing used by the South China Morning Post.
  • The plan to return the statues was shelved amid strained bilateral relations after the 2016 THAAD deployment, according to the South China Morning Post.

Perspectives

South Korean official view

The National Museum of Korea framed the return as a positive step for cultural exchange. Director You Hong-june said it upheld the vision of Kansong, who "safeguarded the nation through culture," and expressed hope that the ceremony would "serve as a new driving force in enriching bilateral cultural exchange going forward."

Chinese official view

China's National Cultural Heritage Administration chief Rao Quan attended the ceremony, and the Chinese embassy in Seoul confirmed the handover. The return was described by the South China Morning Post as part of a broader effort to repair ties through cultural diplomacy, though no direct quotes from Chinese officials were included in the provided reports.