Korean Court Orders Return of Three Artworks in Long-Running Loan Dispute

A South Korean court has ruled that the Wooyang Museum of Art must return three artworks to collector Jeong Hee-ja, resolving only a fraction of a 13-year dispute over 188 alleged loans. The court found insufficient evidence linking Jeong to the remaining 185 works. Jeong, a hotelier and founder of the Art Sonje Museum (now Wooyang Museum) in Gyeongju, claimed she purchased the works with personal funds and loaned them to the museum. The museum, originally operated by Daewoo Development (owned by Jeong's late husband Kim Woo-chong), was acquired by Wooyang Industrial Development in 2012. Jeong began her reclamation campaign in 2013, and after nine works were returned, she filed suit. Judge Kim Chang-mo ordered the return of two Nam June Paik pieces from his "My Faust" series (1989–91) and a Sigmar Polke, based on evidence from the art dealer, a curator's testimony, and bank records. The court rejected Jeong's claim that an "M" code on record cards indicated her ownership, finding the code was used arbitrarily. Wooyang Industrial Development has appealed to retain the three works. The dispute is part of a larger legal battle between Wooyang and the Daewoo family.