The donation of a pair of Qing Dynasty stone lion statues, preserved by the late art collector Jeon Hyung-pil, has sparked controversy due to the use of the term 'zhenghuan' (赠还), meaning 'to return,' by Chinese officials during the donation process.
During a National Assembly audit on October 19, Lee Jae-jung, chair of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, raised concerns about the appropriateness of the Chinese expression used in the donation ceremony held by the National Museum of Korea.
Jeon acquired the stone lion statues at an auction in Japan in 1933 and preserved them in South Korea. The donation was made to enhance friendship between South Korea and China. However, instead of the standard term 'yuanzheng' (捐赠), which means donation, the Chinese side opted for 'zhenghuan,' which implies a return. Chinese state media Xinhua also reported on July 23 that 'South Korea returned a pair of Qing Dynasty stone lion statues to China.'
Lee pointed out that while the museum's Chinese press release used 'yuanzheng,' the donation certificate employed 'zhenghuan.' He emphasized that since Jeon purchased and preserved the artifacts, the term 'donation' is more appropriate. 'The intent of the donation should be respected,' he said, adding that 'cultural exchanges should not be recorded with unintended meanings.'
In response, Yoo Hong-jun, director of the National Museum of Korea, explained that the Chinese side insisted on using 'zhenghuan' and that the museum had consulted with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs beforehand. However, it was later confirmed that there had been no such consultation with the South Korean Foreign Ministry. Yoo later clarified that the term was agreed upon at the request of the Chinese National Cultural Heritage Administration and stated that future similar cases would be discussed with the Foreign Ministry.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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