More than 250,000 Korean historic artifacts are located overseas, including those looted during wars and crises, with Japan holding the largest share, heritage authorities announced. The Korea Heritage Service and Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation identified 256,190 items across 29 countries. Efforts to repatriate illegally taken artifacts continue, with 2,855 items returned so far.
The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation (OKCHF) announced on February 18, 2026, the results of a survey on Korean historic artifacts located overseas. As of the start of this year, a total of 121,143 cases involving 256,190 items were identified across 801 institutions, including museums and art galleries, in 29 countries such as Japan, the United States, and Germany.
Japan holds the largest share with 110,611 pieces, accounting for 43.2 percent of all overseas Korean cultural properties. The U.S. follows with about 68,000 artifacts, Germany with over 16,000, and Britain with around 15,000 items. Many of these artifacts are believed to have been stolen or looted during periods of foreign intervention in the late 19th century and Japan's colonial occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945, while others were taken overseas through legitimate transactions.
The KHS and OKCHF have been working to repatriate cultural artifacts believed to have been illegally removed from Korea. As of January, a total of 2,855 items have been returned to the country through the OKCHF. This survey underscores the ongoing efforts to preserve and recover Korea's cultural heritage on an international scale.
