A picture of the missing painting. Provided by Nate News.

By Giorgio Cioffi (gio12060@korea.ac.kr)

The Korea University (KU) Museum recently found itself at the center of a mystery involving the disappearance of a precious 17th-century artwork, sparking a police investigation into the case. The missing artwork, known as the “Cormorant Painting,” is attributed to the renowned artist Chang Gang-do (1595-1668), a prominent figure in the middle of the Joseon Dynasty.

The museum had received the valuable artwork as a donation in August 2021, along with various other historical artifacts spanning from the 17th to the early 20th century. However, it was not until December of the same year that the museum realized the artwork was missing during the process of cataloging the donated items. In June of the current year, the museum decided to involve the police and report the loss. Notably, the museum faced further scrutiny as they failed to provide the donor with a complete list of donated items, which raised suspicions about the handling of the valuable artwork. The donor took matters into their own hands, eventually obtaining the missing list in May, where the artwork by Chang Gang-do was conspicuously absent.

The university expressed regret over the mismanagement of the valuable artifact, subsequently intervening with administrative changes to prevent future incidents. Meanwhile, the police conducted interviews with museum staff and related individuals but have yet to gather substantial evidence.

출처 : 고려대학교 고파스 2025-08-13 16:53:01: