북관대첩비반환과 남북관계

Abstract

The Bukgwan Victory Monument was returned to the original location of North Korea through South Korea in 2005. Four times of discussions were held on the return of the Bukgwan Victory Monument, which was taken out of the country during Japanese colonial era and was finally returned to its homeland in 2005. Due to internal and external factors, the previous three discussions did not lead to the result of return. Especially the conflict between the two Koreas served as an obstacle to further progress in the discussion. While it is true that non-governmental organizations and religious organizations steadily paid attention to the return of the monument, that alone has limitations in explaining why the return of the monument was finally decided in 2005. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the determinants of the return of the Bukgwan Victory Monument, focusing on the amicable inter-Korean relations in 2005, when the return of the Bukgwan Victory Monument was decided. This approach will allow us to grasp in various ways the role of relations between countries in the decision to return cultural assets.