[Anchor]

Jeju's Peace Museum, which has been struggling with financial difficulties, is ultimately being sold to Japan. Precious cultural assets that serve as evidence of Japanese aggression are being sold off to Japan.

JIBS reporter Ha Chang-hoon has the story.



[Reporter]

The news of the Peace Museum's sale to Japan came as a shock.

This is because a museum that preserves the history of Japanese aggression is being sold to a Japanese national, and some of the artifacts displayed at the Peace Museum hold significant value.

[Student A/OO High School: We suffered during the war, and the fact that it is being sold like this now means a situation as bad as that time is unfolding...]

A bigger problem is the fact that the Peace Museum is a registered cultural heritage.

It was registered in December 2006, as it is recognized as the largest underground fortress in Jeju and a key military stronghold for the Japanese military.

However, there has been no interest from the government.

While acknowledging it as a cultural asset, the government only demands voluntary protection efforts from the owner.

[Lee Young-geun/Director of the Peace Museum: Although there are support laws, they just leave it neglected because it is privately owned. The Cultural Heritage Administration has no interest.]

The situation is the same elsewhere.

Currently, there are 21 registered cultural heritage sites in the Jeju region, including the Peace Museum.

However, all 21 sites are in a situation where only the protection efforts of the owners are required.

As a situation unfolds where these sites are cultural assets in name only and are not treated as such, Jeju's precious cultural heritage is at risk of disappearing.