The legal text 'Daemyungryeol (大明律),' which serves as the foundation of the criminal law during the Joseon Dynasty, has been excluded from national treasures. This is because it was revealed to be 'stolen property' purchased from a thief. This marks the first time that a national designated cultural heritage has been revoked due to issues in the designation process.
According to Newsis on the 29th, the Korea Heritage Service announced through the government gazette that it will cancel the administrative disposition related to the designation of the 'Daemyungryeol' as a national treasure. The Korea Heritage Service explained in the gazette that it is considering "the follow-up handling after the guilty verdict and execution of sentence due to the inducement of false designation related to the treasure."
'Daemyungryeol' has been regarded as an important resource for understanding the criminal law of the Joseon Dynasty. In the royal edict declaring his accession to the throne in 1392, King Taejo of Joseon stated his intention to use 'Daemyungryeol' and interpreted it to suit the realities of the time, instead of including the legal code in the Gyeongguk Daejun.
The 'Daemyungryeol' for which the treasure designation was revoked this time is believed to be the Hongmu 22-year law (1389), which served as the original text for the interpretation of 'Daemyungryeol.' It is a rare copy, with no known existing versions either domestically or internationally. The Korea Heritage Service designated this 'Daemyungryeol' as a national treasure in July 2016, evaluating it as a valuable resource for research on both Joseon Dynasty law and bibliography from the early Joseon period.
However, in November of the same year, the Northern Gyeonggi Police Agency confirmed that 'Daemyungryeol' was stolen property during the process of apprehending tomb robbers and thieves who had stolen cultural heritage from temples, historic sites, and old houses nationwide. According to police reports, an individual running a private museum in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, purchased 'Daemyungryeol' for 15 million won from a thief in May 2012 and applied for the designation of 'Daemyungryeol' as a national treasure in October of the same year.
This individual deceived authorities by claiming it was inherited from their forebear. However, the thief who sold 'Daemyungryeol' did not receive an additional 10 million won from this individual as compensation for the designation, leading the investigator to report the theft and sale. As a result, this individual was indicted for violating the Cultural Heritage Protection Act and received a three-year prison sentence in 2022.
The cultural family Ryusi, which held 'Daemyungryeol,' reported that 81 artifacts, including the building plaque and historic documents, had disappeared in 1988 to the relevant local government. The Korea Heritage Service announced in 2011 that 'Daemyungryeol' had been reported stolen.
The Korea Heritage Service determined that there were defects at the time of designation and decided to issue a cancellation disposition based on the Administrative Basic Act. While there have been instances where designated national treasures or treasures were not designated due to a decrease in their value, this is the first case of cancellation arising from issues during the designation process.
'Daemyungryeol' is currently temporarily stored at the National Palace Museum. A representative from the Korea Heritage Service noted, "Even if it was reported stolen, it was not a time when detailed photographs were preserved, making it unclear whether this artifact is stolen property," adding, "As this is the first case of cancellation, much time was needed for legal review and the examination by specialists on the texts to conduct the administrative action."