The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City announced on 14 November that a 227-year-old Buddhist artwork in its possession, The Tenth King of Hell (1798), an ink painting on silk scroll, is being repatriated to South Korea after a 71-year absence.
The painting is believed to have been removed from Korea in 1954, while the Buddhist temple in which it was originally enshrined, was under the control of the United States Army following the 1950–53 Korean War. The heritage piece is to be returned to Sinheungsa—reputed to be the oldest Seon (Zen) temple in the world—on Mount Seorak, the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range in the northeastern Korean province of Gangwon.
The painting is one of a set of 10 scrolls that were removed from Sinheungsa. Six panels from the original collection were returned to Korea in 2020 from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Three more remain overseas, although their whereabouts are not known. According to local media reports, a 1942 survey by the Japanese colonial administration of Korea recorded the painting’s presence in Sinheungsa. Subsequent photographs taken by US military personal between 1953 and 1954 also documented its presence.
In a public statement, the Met explained: “The return is the result of a collaborative investigation between the museum and representatives from [Sinheungsa] and the Sokcho Committee for the Return of Cultural Heritage who visited the museum several times to work with the museum’s curators and researchers regarding the work’s provenance. In 2025, the museum and temple representatives agreed the painting should be returned to the temple.” (The Met)
A ceremony commemorating the handover of The Tenth King of Hell scroll painting (more formally, The Tenth Great King of the Five Ways and the Right Law) was held in Seoul on 14 November, attended by: Chief Monk Ji-hye of Sinheungsa; the New York museum’s director and CEO, Max Hollein; the administrator of the Korea Heritage Service, Heo Min; the secretary-general of the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, Kwak Chang-yong; the mayor of Sokcho, Lee Byung-seon; and the chairman of the Sokcho Committee for the Return of Cultural Heritage, Lee Sang-rae.
“We are honored to partner with the Sokcho Committee for the Return of Cultural Heritage and Sinheungsa Temple on the return of this important work of art,” Hollein observed during the handover ceremony. “The Met has a long history of working with colleagues and institutions in Korea, and we look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to enhance the world’s understanding and appreciation of the arts of Korea.” (The Met)
In its statement, the Met noted that it had purchased The Tenth King of Hell in 2007. The painting had been on public display as part of the museum’s Korean Art (2012) and Arts of Korea (2008) exhibitions.
The Tenth King of Hell, measuring 116.8 x 91.4 centimeters, depicts the tenth and final king of the afterworld who judges those who have been dead for three years. According to some Buddhist traditions, the Ten Kings of Hell sit in judgement over the deceased, determining the severity of their punishments and the course of their rebirth.
“Seated prominently in the center [of this Joseon dynasty painting], the king is surrounded by a retinue of attendants and significant figures of the underworld, including messengers, judges, and wardens,” The Met said in a description. “At the top right corner, tiny figures float on a rainbow-like stream (a symbol of the six paths of rebirth) emanating from a double-headed beastly figure (representing the Evil Spirit) at the lower right. The dead, receiving punishments for their transgressions, populate the lower half of the painting.” (The Met)
The newly returned painting will be placed in storage at Sinheungsa until the temple’s new sanctuary is completed, after which it will be displayed.
The Joseon dynasty spanned some 500 years, from 1392–1897. The era is considered the peak of classical Korean culture and literature, and also a high point for the development of science and technology. The dynasty encouraged the propagation of the ideals and doctrines of Neo-Confucianism, which found favor as the state ideology. Although Buddhism was officially discouraged and on occasion subject to persecution, literary exchanges from the period show that Buddhism continued to thrive intellectually, with regular dialogues and exchanges of thought and philosophy between Confucian officials and Buddhist scholars.
“We are delighted that The Tenth King of Hell has returned to its original home, remarked Lee Sang-rae, chairman of the Sokcho Committee for the Return of Cultural Heritage. “Our cultural heritage holds its greatest meaning when it is in its rightful place. We will continue our efforts to ensure that the remaining three Ten Kings of the Underworld paintings still abroad can also return home.” (The Met)
According to survey data from 2024, the majority of South Korea’s population—51 per cent—holds no religious affiliation. Christians make up the largest religious segment of the population at 31 per cent, while Buddhists account for 17 per cent. Buddhism is reported to be the fastest-growing religion in South Korea in recent years, amid growth in interest among young people.
See more
The Tenth King of Hell (The Met)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Returns Buddhist Painting to Sinheungsa Temple in Korea (The Met)
Late Joseon-era Buddhist painting returns home after 70 years in US (The Korea Times)
After 71 Years… ‘Ten Kings Painting’ Returns to Sokcho from the United States (Maeil Business Newspaper)
‘The Tenth King of Hell’ returns to Korea after 70 years (Korea JoongAng Daily)
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