Chapter 18
I’m translating the chapter as formatted HTML, keeping the legal/documentary passages styled where the source uses them and preserving the chapter structure.CHAPTER_TITLE: Chapter 18
Only after he had been focused on the relic did Si-woo finally notice something beside the box: an object wrapped in thin plastic.
He brushed the dust off the plastic, and an envelope came into view.
The paper had browned with age, but it was still perfectly legible.
He began reading the crooked, uneven handwriting.
Dear reader,
My name is Park Kang-hoon. I was born into a family that has dealt in antiques for generations, and I have lived my entire life with relics at my side. This Baekje gilt-bronze seated Buddha was secured by my grandfather during the Japanese colonial period.
In 1934, when the Japanese Government-General excavated the Neungsan-ri area in Buyeo, this Buddha is said to have been unearthed there. I understand that my grandfather purchased it after a Japanese official overseeing the excavation site secretly made it disappear.
My grandfather recognized the value of the piece after seeing the inscription carved into the halo behind the Buddha. He had hoped that one day he could return it to our liberated homeland, but he passed away before that wish could ever be fulfilled.
Afterward, I intended to return it to the state, but I was blinded by the words of a shaman with whom I had long been connected.
"There is a Buddha in your house blessed by heaven. Hide it deep inside your home where no one can see it, and your fortune will never run dry."
Believing the shaman's words, I built a new house and hid the Buddha inside it. As absurd as it sounds, business prospered just as the shaman had said, and the household remained peaceful.
But lately, my grandfather's words keep ringing in my ears. His desperate plea that I return this Buddha to the state.
Only now, with death before me, do I understand how grave my greed was in hiding and keeping it all these years.
My son ignores my wishes and has begun selling off the antiques I collected one by one. If he had known about this Buddha, he would have sold it off without a second thought.
In my final years, I have developed dementia. There are many times when my mind is not clear. Even if I were to state my intention to donate it, my son would surely sabotage it on the grounds that I have dementia. Today, with a brief moment of clarity, I gathered what strength I had left to leave this letter.
I sincerely hope that someone else finds it. And I humbly ask that whoever discovers this Buddha donate it to the state in my place, so that many people may see the smile of Baekje.
I know full well that this is a selfish request. I am not even worthy of making it. Still, please take pity on me, and let me beg you, head bowed, to correct the sin I committed in my place.
Respectfully,
Park Kang-hoon
After finishing the letter, Si-woo found himself unable to speak for a long while.
The farther he read into the latter half, the weaker and more slanted the handwriting became, until it was nearly impossible to decipher.
The strain of a hand that had barely managed to hold itself steady was obvious.
There were even traces where the letters had blurred under tears.
Si-woo let out a heavy sigh.
His mind was in turmoil.
* * *
This was not something he could simply sell.
For one thing, Si-woo would have a hard time claiming ownership in the first place.
Even if he did, he would likely end up in a legal battle with the state.
More than anything, he could not ignore Park Kang-hoon’s letter and his clearly stated wish to donate it.
At this point, the smartest move was to report it to the Cultural Heritage Administration and take the reward.
That way, I can honor Park Kang-hoon’s last wish and handle everything without running into legal trouble.
But there was still a problem.
If a privately owned cultural heritage item lawfully owned by an individual is voluntarily donated to the state or a local government, compensation may be paid within the limit of 30 percent of the appraised value of the cultural property.
What concerned him most was how much value the Cultural Heritage Administration would recognize and compensate.
In practice, the agency had often set compensation low when judging by precedent from the past.
They always claimed there was no budget assigned.
He had no intention of being greedy.
He simply wanted fair compensation that matched the value.
The Cultural Heritage Administration could hardly underestimate the piece forever just to keep an eye on public opinion.
Especially now, with Si-woo’s name already spread through the media after multiple appearances in the news.
According to the status window, the gilt-bronze Maitreya seated Buddha had been valued at a minimum of 20 billion won.
The minimum figures he had seen in the status window so far had always been conservative estimates.
Which meant that, depending on the Cultural Heritage Administration’s appraisal, getting over 10 billion won would not be unreasonable.
For now, I should talk it over with Representative Shin A-young.
* * *
Shin A-young had been busier than ever these days.
The front of Eterna Gallery was packed with reporters day after day, and the office phone rang without pause.
It all began with Si-woo identifying the owner of the sword.
Once it became known that it was Katō Kiyomasa’s sword, the entire Japanese political world, as well as the art-historical community, was thrown into uproar.
Even Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had quietly sent the ambassador to Korea to meet Shin A-young in secret.
"Katō Kiyomasa’s sword is an extremely important historical asset to Japan. We will certainly promise compensation. Would you consider selling it to us, Representative?"
The ambassador spoke with deliberate humility.
Shin A-young did not answer immediately. She set down her teacup with elegant composure and said, "I’m sorry, but this relic is already receiving intense attention from the Korean public. More than that, it has a value that cannot simply be reduced to money, so I can’t hand it over lightly."
The ambassador’s expression stiffened, but Shin A-young paid it no mind.
In fact, this was exactly the kind of situation she had been hoping for.
It had been planned from the start.
Si-woo’s interview had lit the fuse, and public opinion was already turning into a movement demanding the return of cultural properties from Japan.
Not only the history communities, but ordinary people as well were stepping forward to reject the return of Katō Kiyomasa’s sword while insisting that Japan should first give back cultural properties it had taken.
As long as public sentiment held, she intended to bring out the previously unreleased works of Shin Yun-bok as the next card.
It was an opportunity to raise the prestige of Eterna Gallery.
After the ambassador left, the secretary knocked on the door.
"Come in."
"Representative, Mr. Kim Si-woo is here."
A natural smile appeared on Shin A-young’s lips.
"Mr. Si-woo? Do you have something important to discuss?"
"Yes. I have something to tell you, Representative."
Si-woo looked more serious than usual, and in his arms was a thick bag held carefully, almost like treasure.
Shin A-young had the strange feeling that she had seen this scene before.
No, it wasn’t strange at all.
It was just like when he had brought in the Shin Yun-bok painting.
Could it be...?
"Representative Shin A-young. Could we speak privately for a moment? I asked Advisor Jeong Hae-won to come here as well, so he should be arriving soon."
She couldn’t guess what could possibly be inside the bag Si-woo had brought.
"Of course. Please come this way."
Shin A-young led Si-woo to a private reception room, and soon Jeong Hae-won also entered.
As soon as the door closed, Si-woo took out the Buddha from the wooden box and the old letter from the bag.
"This is..."
The gilt-bronze seated Maitreya Buddha, smiling with the gentle grace of Baekje, revealed itself.
Under the reception room lights, the Buddha’s golden sheen gathered in Shin A-young’s eyes.
A compassionate expression.
A faint smile.
Not a single scratch, not a trace of decay, preserved in flawless condition that seemed almost untouched by time.
"My God!"
Jeong Hae-won’s voice trembled as he looked at the gilt-bronze Maitreya guardian seated Buddha.
He recognized it at once.
He had worked with cultural properties for a long time, but the aura this Buddha gave off was extraordinary.
He was so shocked he nearly dropped the tea in his hand.
Shin A-young held her breath as well.
"Wait, could this be...?"
Jeong Hae-won shot to his feet and moved closer to the Buddha.
With gloves on, he examined the halo, his hands trembling.
"T-there’s an inscription. 'In the 23rd year of King Mu... this honored image is cast for the peace of the nation.'"
Jeong Hae-won’s face went pale as he scrutinized the Buddha from every angle for a long while.
"It’s real. There isn’t the slightest sign of forgery. This is unquestionably a royal Buddha from the reign of King Mu of Baekje!"
"How on earth did you find this?"
With her usual composure, Shin A-young asked, and Si-woo began to explain.
"I was looking at an old house in Yeonnam-dong that I was thinking of buying. But while I was checking it over, I noticed something odd."
"Odd?"
"The house was built in 1985, but the size of one room felt smaller than it should have been from the outside."
He continued, measuring the air with his hand.
"I measured the length along the outer wall from outside, and it didn’t match the length of the room as seen from inside. The difference was at least fifty centimeters."
"So you realized there was an empty space!"
Jeong Hae-won exclaimed in admiration.
"Yes. When I knocked on the wall, one section sounded different from the rest. It seemed hollow."
Shin A-young and Jeong Hae-won were so absorbed in the story they seemed to forget to breathe.
"I liked the neighborhood anyway, and the house itself seemed fine. So after I bought it, I carefully tore into the wall and found a small space inside. There was a wooden box there. When I opened it, the Buddha was inside, and the letter was lying beside it."
When he finished, Jeong Hae-won slumped back onto the sofa as if all the strength had gone out of him.
"I felt the same way when you identified Katō Kiyomasa’s sword, but your eye for detail is truly extraordinary, Mr. Si-woo."
"That’s exactly why I recruited him," Shin A-young said, a satisfied smile lingering at her lips.
"He notices what ordinary people would simply walk past."
"You had just brought in the Shin Yun-bok painting, and now this... a gilt-bronze Maitreya seated Buddha from the Baekje period."
Jeong Hae-won muttered that it was absurd, then shook his head hard.
He had never dreamed he would see relics that might only be discovered once every few decades, and then twice within a single month.
* * *
Jeong Hae-won used a set of precise appraisal tools to examine the Buddha again, and the result was, of course, that it was genuine.
"I couldn’t sense anything counterfeit anywhere. The more I examined it, the deeper my certainty grew that it was authentic."
At Jeong Hae-won’s words, Shin A-young looked at Si-woo.
"Mr. Si-woo."
She spoke with a hardened expression.
She had already read Park Kang-hoon’s letter in full.
"With this letter, there’s room for a legal dispute."
"I’m already aware of that."
"It contains Park Kang-hoon’s clear intention to donate it. And we also have to consider your image, Mr. Si-woo. This isn’t something you can sell."
Shin A-young folded her arms.
"What kind of person are you right now, Mr. Si-woo? You found a relic tied to the independence movement, and people are already praising you as an honest young man. The media is paying close attention. If we end up in a dispute over ownership, it’ll turn into a legal fight and damage your image."
In truth, Si-woo had already made up his mind the moment he first read the letter.
"Don’t worry. I have no intention of selling it. I’ll donate it."
"...Really?"
"Yes."
Si-woo answered without hesitation.
Shin A-young looked into his eyes with clear, steady ones.
"Ha. I knew it."
"You expected I wouldn’t get greedy?"
"Of course. You’re that kind of person, Mr. Si-woo."
Absolutely not.
He wanted to say that.
By his own reckoning, he was an ordinary person.
A small citizen.
Someone with a moderate amount of satisfaction and a moderate amount of greed.
He had behaved that way because he’d decided long ago that he couldn’t use the status window carelessly.
More than anything, it put his mind at ease.
"All right. Then I’ll find the best possible method for you. You’ll donate it, but still gain recognition and receive proper compensation."
"Thank you."
"Don’t mention it. You’re part of our gallery too. And since I personally recruited you, it’s only natural that I, as the representative, step in."
Meanwhile, Jeong Hae-won clicked his tongue in regret.
"I can’t imagine what this Buddha would fetch at auction, but it’s a gilt-bronze Maitreya seated Buddha from the reign of King Mu of Baekje. And with an inscription, no less, which gives it even greater historical significance."
Shin A-young showed interest and asked, "Then if it were put up for auction, how much do you think it would sell for?"
"Baekje works would attract considerable interest in Japan as well. Take the Japanese Maitreya Bodhisattva in half-lotus posture as an example. If Japanese interest is strong, the competition could become fierce. I think this piece could go beyond 50 billion won. But since the donor’s document is clear and the decision has been made to donate it to the Cultural Heritage Administration, the real issue is how such a case should be valued. There are hardly any precedents for this."
Shin A-young clapped lightly to draw the conversation together.
"Before that, there are a few things we need to confirm. The investigation into Park Kang-hoon. Verification of the letter’s authenticity. And a preliminary appraisal of the Buddha. Those three are essential."
"How long will it take?"
"Well, even at the fastest, probably several months."
Shin A-young offered a conciliatory smile.
"Mr. Si-woo, why don’t we hold off on reporting it to the Cultural Heritage Administration right away and proceed gradually instead? Right now, after Katō Kiyomasa’s sword, Shin Yun-bok’s works are scheduled to be unveiled next. The more public attention we draw, the better it will be for the valuation of your relic. If it hadn’t been for you, this could have disappeared during demolition without anyone ever knowing. You should receive proper compensation."
"Understood. I’ll do that."