Joseon painter Shin Yun-bok’s gosaninmuldo, a genre of painting that features ancient characters based on an anecdote related to a person from mythology or history. [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

 
A painting from Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) artist Shin Yun-bok (born 1758), which made headlines back in 2008 for returning to Korea from Japan, has been reportedly stolen, according to the Korea Heritage Service (KHS).  
 
The painting on a scroll was part of Hooam Mirae Research Center’s collection, rolled up and stored inside a wooden box since its purchase from Japan by the research center’s late head.
 
The research center told the KHS that it became aware of the missing painting when it was cleaning the office in January 2020. The research center said that since the box is still there without the painting, it is highly likely that somebody intentionally took the painting out from the box and that the incident would’ve happened between 2019 and 2020.  
 
Hooam Mirae Research Center said it had reported the stolen painting to the police back in 2020 as soon as it went missing. Four years have gone by and the research center decided to ask for the government’s help. It reported the missing painting to Jongno District Office in central Seoul, and the KHS disclosed the information on its website on Monday.
 
As it is a non-designated heritage asset, Hooam Mirae Research Center is not obliged to report it to the KHS, though the KHS highly recommends reporting in order to inspect and keep track of the antique art industry and other major trading markets so that important cultural assets do not get damaged or taken out of the country.  
 
The painting is Shin’s gosainmuldo, a genre of painting that features ancient characters based on an anecdote related to a person from mythology or history. According to the KHS, it is a painting of Shin’s from 1811 and was taken out of the country the same year that the final group of diplomats was sent to Japan to promote ties between Korea and Japan during the Joseon Dynasty.  
 
After its homecoming, the painting was shown to the public through a brief exhibition at the Sookmyung Women’s University Museum and again at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul. 

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]