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Purloined letter purchased from Japan
The staff of a South Korean television program raised money to return a cultural artifact to Korea. The group, staff members of the MBC-TV show “Exclamation Point!,” bought the letter from a rare book seller in Tokyo for 14 million yen (120,000 USD) after holding two fundraising ceremonies this month. The “Public Confidence Letter,” written for general Kim Si-min (1554-1592), known as a hero of the Great Victory of Jinju, arrived at Kimpo airport as of 9:40 p.m. on July 24. The Great Victory of Jinju refers to the battle in which Kim Si-min led about 3,000 defenders to defeat about 20,000 invading Japanese soldiers. The victory made the Japanese army hit a snag in their plans to invade South Korea via southern land routes.Public Confidence Letters were awarded by a king for a subordinate who was credited with the kingdom’s independence. The letter for General Kim Si-min was one of 18 documents awarded by King Seonjo in 1604 for those who played a key role in defending the kingdom from Japanese invasion. In the document, which is 226 centimeters long and 37.2 centimeters wide, King Seonjo salutes Kim Si-min’s effort and grants his family slaves and land for his contribution. He was killed in the battle. The letter is believed to have been taken from Korea by Kyoto Imperial University professor Miura Hiroyuki, who died in 1931, and was kept by his relatives. The letter’s existence was confirmed in November last year when it was listed as part of the inventory at a Tokyo auction. Lee Sang-hoon, a researcher at the National Museum in Jinju, said that the letter is "valuable, as four of six such public confidence letters are designated as national treasures. The letter will be a significant contribution to research on General Kim Si-min." The letter will be sent to the Jinju National Museum, the site of the Great Victory of Jinju, after being part of an exhibition at the National Central Museum for one month beginning July 29.
