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The value of cultural heritage lies in Korean people’s history and culture as well as ancestors’ wisdom and practices. Unfortunately, much of Korea’s cultural heritage were illicitly exported overseas from the end of Joseon dynasty to during Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War. To promote a better understanding and interest of the public about regaining our cultural heritage from overseas, Korea Post is issuing the commemorative stamp Repatriated Cultural Heritage, featuring repatriated cultural heritage, in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). According to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation under the auspices of the CHA, there are currently 193,000 pieces of cultural heritage (as of March 2021) scattered across 21 countries throughout the world. While the national government and private organizations are working hard to take back our cultural heritage, the repatriation of National Treasure-level cultural heritage is a difficult task that requires bilateral agreement between countries. Despite such difficulty, some of Korea’s cultural heritage have been repatriated thanks to efforts by certain individuals, making it all the more invaluable. Ten-story Stone Pagoda from Gyeongcheonsa Temple Site, Gaeseong (National Treasure No. 86), which was illegally taken out by Japanese Imperial Household Minister Mitsuaki Tanaka in 1907, was repatriated to Korea thanks to efforts by American missionary Homer Bezaleel Hulbert and British journalist Ernest Bethell. After hearing that Japan looted the pagoda from Joseon, Hulbert revealed it in an English newspaper in Japan, and Bethell, who founded The Korea Daily News, also helped, leading to a subsequent repatriation to Korea in 1918. The 13.5-m-tall pagoda, which represented the late Goryeo period, is considered to be a masterpiece with delicate sculptures surrounding all around the pagoda. Gansong Jeon Hyeongpil (1906–1962), who led efforts to collect and protect Korea’s cultural heritage amidst the country’s turbulent modern history, used his own money to found Korea’s first modern museum Bohwagak (currently Gansong Art Museum) and acquired 20 pieces of Goryeo ware from British lawyer John Gatsby, who lived decades in Japan. In particular, Celadon Water Dropper in the Shape of Mother and Baby Monkeys (National Treasure No. 270) is a rare celadon water dropper shaped after monkeys, whose artistic level and value are considered exceptional as it is the only one featuring mother and baby monkeys. Gyeongju Face Pattern Sumaksae, also known as a smile of Silla, is the only sumaksae shaped by hands, which was used as a roof end tile for wooden buildings, capturing outstanding roof tile architecture technology at that time. The person who helped to take the sumaksae back from Japanese doctor Toshinobu Tanaka who bought it at KRW 100 at an antique store in 1934 was Park Il-hoon, who later became the Director of National Museum Gyeongju (currently Gyeongju National Museum). Park Il-hoon requested Tanaka through Osaka Kintaro, who was his teacher and the Director of the Gyeongju Museum, to return the sumaksae, and after many years of persuasion, Tanaka personally visited the Gyeongju National Museum and donated it in October 1972. Royal Seals symbolized the dignity of the royal family in various national ceremonies but many of them were patriated overseas during Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War. Jo Chang-su (1925–2009) helped to repatria00000000000000te the invaluable pieces of cultural heritage Empress Myeongseong’s Jade Seal. Jo, who worked as a curator in charge of Asia for 44 years in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in the US, bought 93 artifacts in a fund-raising auction from an American Korean War veteran collector and donated them to the National Museum of Korea. The more people love and become interested in cultural heritage, the more open the path will become towards repatriation of cultural heritage from overseas. We hope you look at the commemorative stamp Repatriated Cultural Heritage and reflect on the value of cultural heritage as well as the stories of those who worked hard for repatriation.