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Why are there so many homeless people around Seoul Station?

 You may notice quite a few homeless people around Seoul Station. A lot of visitors ask me, “Why are there so many homeless people here?” One of the biggest reasons goes back to 1997, during the Asian Financial Crisis. In Korea, we usually call it the IMF Crisis . A lot of companies went bankrupt, unemployment rose very quickly, and many people suddenly lost their jobs and income. Some people eventually lost their homes as well. And many of them came to Seoul Station . Why here? Because this was one of the main places to find day labor and temporary jobs , and it was also the main railway station if they wanted to go back to their hometowns. But some had no money left and nowhere else to go, so they stayed around the station. That is one reason Seoul Station became one of the main gathering places for homeless people after the 1997 crisis. Then another thing happened. Once many homeless people were here, churches, charities, NGOs, and the government started providing help here. Th...

The Truth: Korea's National Treasure No. 83 and Japan's Koryu-ji Wooden Statue

This is one of the most thrilling historical mysteries between Korea and Japan, and it perfectly highlights how advanced the ancient Silla Kingdom was.

If you place Korea's National Treasure No. 83 (made of bronze) and Japan's Miroku Bosatsu at Koryu-ji Temple (made of wood) side by side, it is almost impossible to tell them apart just by looking at their silhouettes. They share the same gentle smile, the exact same three-mountain crown, the bare upper body, and the beautifully draped clothing folds over the pedestal.


The Secret Revealed by a Broken Finger

For a long time, Japanese scholars believed the Koryu-ji wooden statue was a masterpiece created by their own ancient artisans. But in 1960, a shocking incident occurred.

A Japanese university student, completely mesmerized by the statue's beautiful smile, climbed over the fence and hugged it. In the process, he accidentally broke off the statue's right ring finger!

While this was a terrible accident, it led to a massive historical discovery. During the restoration process, scientists analyzed the exposed wood. They discovered it was not made of Camphor wood (which Japanese artisans typically used at the time), but Korean Red Pine (적송). This specific pine tree only grows natively in the Gyeongsang-do region of South Korea—which was the heart of the ancient Silla Kingdom.




A Royal Gift Across the Sea

So, how did a statue made of Silla pine end up in Kyoto?

Historical records from the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) state that in the year 623, a King of Silla sent a beautiful Buddhist statue to the Japanese imperial court as a diplomatic gift. The timing perfectly matches the creation of both National Treasure No. 83 and the wooden twin.

Because Silla had a highly advanced Buddhist culture and superior craftsmanship, they actively exported their art, religion, and technology to Japan. The wooden Miroku Bosatsu was likely carved by Silla artisans in Korea and carefully transported across the sea on a boat as a symbol of friendship and cultural superiority.



The Ancient Text vs. National Pride

The historical record we are talking about is the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan). This ancient book was completed way back in the year 720 AD. It clearly stated that in 623 AD, the Silla Kingdom sent a beautiful Buddha statue to the Japanese court. So, the text itself had been sitting there for over a thousand years.

However, for centuries, many Japanese scholars and art historians downplayed or ignored this specific connection to the Koryu-ji statue. Why? Because the Miroku Bosatsu is so breathtakingly beautiful, it became a massive source of national pride. The prevailing theory in Japan was: "Yes, Silla sent a statue, but THIS specific masterpiece was clearly carved by Japanese artisans right here in Kyoto, using local Japanese Camphor wood (녹나무)."

They wanted their greatest artistic treasure to be a purely homegrown creation.

The Crowning of National Treasure No. 1

Fast forward to 1951. After World War II, Japan established a new Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. When they started registering their most precious historical artifacts, the wooden Miroku Bosatsu at Koryu-ji Temple was officially registered as National Treasure No. 1 (Registration No. 00001 in the sculpture category).

At the moment it received this ultimate honor, the official stance was still that it was a domestic Japanese masterpiece.

The Accidental Truth

Then came the famous 1960 incident. A university student, completely enchanted by the statue, climbed the barrier, hugged it, and accidentally snapped off its right ring finger.

This disaster led to a massive, highly detailed restoration project. During this repair, modern scientists finally had the chance to deeply analyze the exposed wood inside the statue. The result shocked the Japanese academic world.

The scientific analysis definitively proved that the statue was not made of Japanese Camphor wood. It was made of Pinus densiflora (Korean Red Pine / 적송), a specific type of pine tree famously native to the Gyeongsang-do region—the heartland of the ancient Silla Kingdom.

The Ironic Conclusion

Because of a broken finger, the scientific truth finally caught up with the 1,200-year-old text in the Nihon Shoki.

So, the irony is perfectly clear: Japan proudly designated it as their National Treasure No. 1 in 1951, fully believing it was their own creation. Almost a decade later, science proved that their most prized national treasure was actually an imported masterpiece from Korea!


83호와 일본 교토 고류지 목조 반가사유상 

  • 쌍둥이 불상의 충격적 진실:

    • 한국의 국보 83호(청동)와 일본 교토 고류지의 미륵보살반가사유상(나무)은 삼산관(왕관), 부드러운 미소, 상반신 노출, 옷주름까지 소름 돋게 똑같이 생겼음.

  • 숨겨진 스토리 (손가락 절단 사건):

    • 1960년, 한 일본인 대학생이 불상의 아름다움에 매료되어 불상을 끌어안다가 오른쪽 약지 손가락을 부러뜨리는 대형 사고를 침. 

    • 이 불행한 사고가 오히려 역사를 밝히는 계기가 됨. 수리 과정에서 나무 재질을 분석해보니, 일본 불상에 주로 쓰이는 '녹나무'가 아니라 한국 경상도(신라) 일대에서만 자라는 '적송(Korean Red Pine)'으로 밝혀짐.

  • 신라의 외교 선물 (원인과 결과):

    • 일본 역사서인 『일본서기』에 따르면, 623년 신라 시대에 일본에 불상을 선물했다는 기록이 있음.

    • 당시 신라는 고도로 발달한 불교문화와 하이테크 예술 기술을 가지고 있었음.

    • 결론: 즉, 일본의 국보 1호(고류지 불상)는 일본에서 자체 제작한 것이 아니라, 신라의 장인들이 한국의 적송으로 깎아 바다를 건너 선물한 '한류 문화 수출품'의 원조 격인 셈임. 국보 83호는 일본 고대 불교 미술의 '설계도' 역할을 했음.

사건의 타임라인 (인과 관계):

  1. 720년 (기록 존재): 일본의 고대 역사서인 『일본서기』 완성. "623년에 신라에서 불상을 보내왔다"는 텍스트는 이미 이때부터 존재했음.

  2. 일본 학계의 부정 (원인): 일본 학자들은 이 불상이 너무나 아름다웠기 때문에, 신라가 보낸 불상이 아니라 "일본 장인이 일본산 녹나무(Camphor wood)로 직접 깎아 만든 일본의 독자적 작품"이라고 오랫동안 주장함.

  3. 1951년 (국보 지정): 일본 문화재 보호법 제정 후, 고류지 미륵보살반가사유상을 조각 부문 일본 국보 1호(등록번호 제1호)로 당당하게 지정함. (이때까지만 해도 일본산 나무로 만든 일본 작품으로 굳게 믿음).

  4. 1960년 (결정적 사건): 대학생이 불상을 껴안다 손가락을 부러뜨리는 대형 사고 발생.

  5. 1960년대 (과학적 진실 규명 - 결과): 부러진 불상을 수리하는 과정에서 현대 과학으로 나무 재질을 분석함. 그 결과 일본산 녹나무가 아니라, 신라의 중심지인 경상도 일대에서 자라는 '적송(Korean Red Pine)'임이 완벽하게 증명됨.



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