Retrieving Relics

[Anchor Lead]

Investigators specializing in cultural property affairs have conducted a major probe into cultural thefts. Thanks to their efforts, some 45-hundred pieces of treasures and relics have been retrieved in a period of just 4 months.

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This is a woodblock-printed edition of the ancient medical book DonguiBogam, designated a national treasure. The books were kept at a famous temple museum in Gimcheon, Gyeonsangbuk-do Province and were recovered during a recent police investigation.

[Soundbite] Lee Yong-seok(National Museum of Korean Contemporary History) : "This is still the first edition of the bookand this itself holds great cultural value."

The investigation has also found a law book dating back to China's Ming dynasty in the 14 century called the "Grand Ming Code." It was discovered that the director of a municipal museum purchased the book from a stolen goods trader in 2012. During a four month crackdown since July, police recovered some 4,500 cultural artifacts and rounded up 48 people including property thieves. Among them, a 79 year-old suspect surnamed Kim was arrested on charges of circulating knock-off relics. The achievements were made by 61 investigators specializing in cultural asset cases who were selected last year and this year.

[Soundbite] Song Won-yeong(National Police Agency) : "We dispatched cultural property experts tointellectual crime investigation units at nationwide police agencies and have trained them."

Police said they will publish a professional guidebook on investigating cultural theft and smuggling, and continue to carry out crackdowns.