The Inscription on the Back
The four characters for Sehyeongmusal had endured the passage of countless years and still remained there on the tablet screen.
Si-woo lifted his gaze from the display and met the old man’s eyes.
“Sir, may I explain this plaque to you?”
“I was curious myself, so go on and tell me. I’ll listen carefully.”
He gathered his thoughts.
“This plaque is believed to have been made in the eleventh year of King Sejo’s reign, in 1465. It is an royal calligraphy plaque that King Sejo personally inscribed and bestowed when he founded a temple called Wongaksa.”
“Well, well. So this was that kind of thing?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Han Eun-hye suddenly remembered a scene from a movie.
The entrance of Su-yang Daegun in The Face Reader.
Even now, it remained one of those unforgettable scenes people never stopped talking about.
“He’s the king who stole the throne from his nephew in the movie, right?”
“Yes. He was King Sejo, the seventh king of Joseon.”
“That’s incredible... But what does Sehyeongmusal mean?”
The question made her feel embarrassed the moment she asked it.
She had asked something she didn’t know with far too much confidence.
Han Eun-hye’s face turned red.
“Sehyeongmusal is one of the core doctrines of Buddhism.”
Si-woo continued in a calm voice.
“Put simply, it means that all things change and nothing lasts forever. In his later years, Sejo became deeply absorbed in Buddhism. He did not stop at building temples; he also personally translated Buddhist scriptures into Korean and published Buddhist texts.”
The old man listened intently, his eyes shining.
“He carved those four words, Sehyeongmusal, in tiny script along the edge of the back of the plaque, where no one could see them. He wasn’t trying to show anyone this. As king, he couldn’t speak of it to anyone. It was a repentance he had to carry alone.”
He then explained the various stories tied to Sejo, drawing steadily from sources such as the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty.
He showed them screenshots of the records he had captured on his smartphone.
The old man adjusted his magnifying glasses and peered at the screen.
“Grandfather, it really is recorded in the annals.”
Han Eun-hye said, astonished.
“Yes. Hoho. Well, now, this is remarkable indeed.”
Both of them were completely caught up in the story.
“Still, there is a problem. The condition of the plaque.”
The plaque from Dae-gwangmyeongjeon could hardly be described as being in good condition.
It had rotted so badly that it was almost a blessing it had not been gnawed apart by ant-like insects.
“Since it was exposed to the air, it dried out rapidly and the wood has warped to the point that it is on the verge of breaking apart. If it isn’t professionally conserved right away, it could lose its original form.”
“Conservation?”
“Yes. Without conservation treatment, it could deteriorate even further at any moment.”
Han Eun-hye hesitated, then asked carefully, “But Mr. Kim Si-woo the appraiser... you said this was a national-treasure-level cultural asset, but I wonder if it still has value when it’s already decayed this badly.”
He wondered how to explain that the Dae-gwangmyeongjeon plaque was estimated to be worth at least 20 billion won.
Neither of them seemed to have any idea of its true value, even after hearing his explanation.
At most, they seemed to think it was an artifact worth only a few tens of millions of won by rough estimate.
“Well. In fact, there are still artifacts bearing King Sejo’s own handwriting that have survived to this day.”
“Then that lowers the value even more, doesn’t it?”
Han Eun-hye sounded disappointed. If there were already many relics connected to Sejo, then this old wooden plaque that had been sitting in storage seemed like it would have nowhere to stand out.
Si-woo said in a firm voice, “No, Ms. Eun-hye. It’s true that plaques bearing Sejo’s handwriting remain, but the Wongaksa Dae-gwangmyeongjeon plaque is entirely different.”
“What?”
Pointing at the four characters Sehyeongmusal on the tablet, Si-woo spoke with mounting intensity.
“No other plaque with King Sejo’s handwriting has words like these hidden on the back.”
His expression deepened.
“But this is different. On the edge of the back, hidden where no one could see them, those four characters are a secret known only to Sejo himself. It is the only relic of a king that contains his inner anguish and repentance.”
The warehouse fell silent.
Han Eun-hye and the old man stared wordlessly at the plaque.
“If the experts conduct a thorough appraisal and confirm that even the writing on the back is Sejo’s own hand, then this plaque’s value will be beyond calculation.”
There was, however, one problem.
“Sir, there is one more thing I need to mention. The issue of ownership.”
“Ownership? Isn’t this my grandfather’s property?”
Si-woo looked at the startled Han Eun-hye.
“Legally, it belongs to you, sir. You said your father acquired the plaque in the late 1950s. That was before the Cultural Heritage Protection Act of the Republic of Korea was enacted in 1962. More than that, you’ve possessed it peacefully for nearly seventy years, so the statute of limitations for acquisitive prescription has also been satisfied under civil law.”
“So you’re saying we can keep it?”
“I’m not a lawyer, so I can’t say that definitively, but that seems to be the case.”
The old man silently looked at the plaque before speaking.
“To tell you the truth, I’m ignorant in matters like this. I’ve just been keeping the plaque my father brought back from the ferry landing. What do you think we should do? You’re the expert, so please tell us the best course of action. I’m asking you.”
At the old man’s plea, Si-woo turned the matter over in his head.
“The first option is to sell it to the state. After an official appraisal by the Cultural Heritage Administration, you could receive compensation. But the value of this cultural property is too great. Because of budget limitations, it would be difficult to provide fair compensation equal to its true worth. And due to the nature of government bureaucracy, a quick decision would also be hard to achieve.”
“That doesn’t appeal to me much.”
The old man’s expression hardened.
“Yes. I don’t recommend that option either. The second is to place it in trust. You would retain ownership, while the storage and exhibition would be entrusted to the National Museum of Korea or some other reliable institution. They would carry out perfect conservation treatment, and you could also receive money in the form of a rental fee for a certain period.”
It must have sounded tempting, because the old man’s face brightened considerably.
“The third is to sell it through auction. You would have the auction house handle the appraisal and conservation, then put it up for sale. However, if the state designates it as a national treasure, overseas export would be prohibited, and if the media gets hold of the story, it could create problems.”
Han Eun-hye asked cautiously, “If we sold it, how much would it be worth?”
“I estimate it to be worth more than 20 billion won. However, because of the nature of auctions, the amount is so large that we would also need to consider the possibility of it failing to sell, and we would have to look into the fees and the various legal procedures as well.”
At the figure of 20 billion won, Han Eun-hye froze in place.
“...20 billion won? I didn’t mishear that, did I?”
“No. You heard correctly.”
Han Eun-hye felt utterly dazed.
The decaying wooden plaque that had been stored in the warehouse since she was little.
Even when they said they should throw it away, her grandfather had refused.
And it was worth a staggering 20 billion won.
* * *
Eterna Gallery was spending a busy afternoon.
The exhibition rooms were crowded with Japanese tourists who had come to Korea to see Kato Kiyomasa’s sword, as well as a throng of visitors gathered to see the two works by Hye-won and Shin Yun-bok.
Outside the gallery as well, people stood in line waiting to enter.
To protect the artworks and improve the quality of the viewing experience, however, the gallery limited the number of visitors admitted each day.
Because of that, they had to cut off entry on a first-come, first-served basis at a certain point.
“I’m sorry. This afternoon’s admissions are closed as well. Please return here no further.”
As the staff gave their polite guidance, the visitors who had lined up too late left with disappointment.
Meanwhile, in the second-floor office, Shin A-young was reviewing reports when the pen she had been using to sign them paused for a moment.
A special transport van?
Looking at the vehicle rental record, she saw that Si-woo had borrowed the gallery’s special transport van early that morning.
The special transport van was a vehicle owned by the gallery for the safe transport of expensive artworks and artifacts.
Its interior was equipped with temperature and humidity control systems and shock-absorption equipment, and it was specially insured.
He borrowed that car, which means...
Shin A-young’s eyes sharpened.
Taking that vehicle meant he had discovered an important and valuable artifact.
Tapping lightly on the desk with her fingers, she sank into thought.
Should I contact him first?
She desperately wanted to send a message first, but soon decided against it.
If he’s doing something important right now, I’d only get in the way.
When he was appraising or transporting an artifact, she made a point of giving him as much room to focus as possible.
Instead, she sat before her monitor and checked the day’s schedule again.
Then, at that moment.
Her smartphone vibrated.
When she looked at the screen, it was a text from Si-woo.
Shin A-young quickly opened the message.
[Kim Si-woo: Representative. I’m about to transport a plaque from Wongaksa’s Dae-gwangmyeongjeon, believed to have been personally written by Sejo.]
“......”
Shin A-young stared at the message and sprang to her feet in shock.
Unable to believe it, she read it once more.
“A plaque from Wongaksa’s Dae-gwangmyeongjeon personally written by Sejo...”
For a moment, it felt as though her heart had dropped through the floor.
Feeling her fingers tremble, she sent a reply.
[Shin A-young: You’re serious right now, right? You’re not joking?]
A reply came immediately.
[Kim Si-woo: I’m serious. It is also recorded in the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty. The owner’s father discovered it in the late 1950s, after it had slept beneath the Han River for five hundred years, and it has been stored in a warehouse for seventy years. I’m attaching the annals I researched, the photos I took, and various related materials. (File)]
Shin A-young sank back into her chair.
She drank a glass of water and steadied herself.
Then she opened the file.
Inside were the photos Si-woo had taken and the materials he had researched.
[Shin A-young: Have you confirmed its authenticity?]
[Kim Si-woo: I used an infrared scanner to verify both the front and back inscriptions. As you can see in the photos, the front bears the three characters for Wongaksa, and the back has the four characters Sehyeongmusal discreetly written there. The handwriting matches Sejo’s exactly. It is highly likely to be his own hand.]
Shin A-young’s heart began to pound faster.
Sehyeongmusal.
The hidden inscription on the back.
This was no mere plaque.
[Shin A-young: Are you coming to the gallery now?]
[Kim Si-woo: Yes. It should take about an hour. If you saw the photos, you’ll know it needs conservation immediately.]
* * *
On the way back to Eterna Gallery, he thought over what the old man had said.
I never got much education, so I don’t really understand the world. And there’s no longer much point in having money. Still, I want only for my granddaughter to live without lacking anything. Her parents passed away early, and she grew up under my care, poor thing. Please help her. I’ll pay handsomely for the help I’ve received.
He had obtained a power of attorney authorizing him to handle the plaque on their behalf.
A strange weight settled in the hand that held the steering wheel.
He arrived at the gallery and parked the car.
Shin A-young, Jeong Hae-won, and the other Eterna Gallery staff were waiting outside.
The plaque was moved to the storage vault, where Jeong Hae-won examined it with extreme care.
He looked at it for a long while before speaking.
“Good heavens...!”
The edge of the back, exactly where Si-woo had mentioned in advance.
The moment he used infrared equipment to compare the handwriting and confirm that it matched King Sejo’s own.
Jeong Hae-won’s breathing turned rough.
Slowly, he straightened his back and turned to look at Si-woo.
The veteran appraiser’s eyes trembled with shock and awe.
“Mr. Kim Si-woo.”
Jeong Hae-won swallowed dryly and barely managed to speak.
“Did you perhaps save a nation in a past life? How on earth did you find this?”
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