来春に対馬仏像返還方針　安寧願い法要実施へ―韓国の寺

　【ソウル時事】２０１２年に長崎県対馬市の観音寺から盗まれ、韓国へ持ち去られた仏像について、所有権を主張していた韓国中部・瑞山の浮石寺は来年３月から５月ごろに１００日間の仏像の法要を行い、その後日本に返還する方針を示した。浮石寺関係者が２４日、明らかにした。
　浮石寺は仏像の返還に反対しない意向を示す一方で、安寧を願う法要の実施を求めていた。観音寺側と協議し、法要の開催に同意を得たとしている。観音寺は証拠品として仏像を保管している韓国検察に必要な書類を提出し、仏像は浮石寺へ搬出される見通し。
　浮石寺関係者は「観音寺側は早期返還を希望しており、この冬に法要を行うことも考えたが、（寺周辺の）降雪が多く車両の通行ができないため来年春になった」と説明した。（2024/12/24-15:11）

A South Korean temple that claimed the ownership of a Buddha statue stolen from a Japanese temple will return the statue to the original owner next spring, it was learned Tuesday.
   Buseoksa Temple in the central South Korea city of Seosan plans to give the statue back to Kannonji Temple on Tsushima, an island in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Nagasaki, after holding a 100-day memorial service between March and May, a person related to the South Korean temple said.
   The Kanzeon Bodhisattva statue, a Nagasaki-designated cultural property, was taken away from Kannonji to South Korea by a South Korean thief ring. In October 2023, the South Korean Supreme Court affirmed the Japanese temple's ownership by rejecting Buseoksa's claim that it was robbed of the statue by "Wako" Japanese pirates in the 14th century. Since the ruling, the Japanese and South Korean governments have been taking steps to realize its return.
   Noting that Kannonji has already given the nod to the memorial service to pray for the repose of the statue, the informed source said Buseoksa initially examined the idea of holding the event in winter in consideration of Kannonji's hope for an early return but has found it impossible to do so because it snows heavily around the Seosan temple.
   From now on, Kannonji will submit necessary documents to South Korea's prosecutors office that is taking custody of the statue so Buseoksa can hold the memorial service, the source added.