SBS 'The Story of the Day' Re-examines Theft of National Treasure 'War Diary' and the Pursuit to Recover It

The SBS program 'The Story of the Day' recounted the 1967 theft of National Treasure No. 76, the 'War Diary', from the Hyeonchungsa Shrine in Asan. A professional theft ring led by Mr. Yu was eventually caught after a tip from Busan, leading to the recovery of the diary from a coal storage.

The SBS program 'The Story of the Day' (directed by Ahn Yoon-tae, Lee Keun-byeol, and Moon Chi-young; hereafter referred to as 'The Story of the Day') aired its 246th episode on the 5th, titled "Thieves - The War Diary Theft Case." Listeners Shin Sung, Kim Seul-ki, and The One appeared to recount the intense pursuit to protect the national treasure and the desperate moments of that day.

On the morning of the last day of 1967, a shocking theft of cultural properties occurred at the Hyeonchungsa Shrine artifact exhibition hall in Asan, Chungnam. Core artifacts, including the 'War Diary'—the handwritten diary of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and National Treasure No. 76—as well as 'Imjin War Reports' and 'Seoganjeop,' vanished without a trace.

The perpetrators broke into an annex of the exhibition hall by using an awl to create a tiny gap in the 1.5mm thick steel door before cutting a hole with metal shears. However, tracking the culprits was difficult from the start; footprints were erased by snow that fell during the night of the incident, and the use of gloves made fingerprint identification nearly impossible.

Upon hearing that the artifacts of Admiral Yi Sun-sin had disappeared, President Park Chung-hee, who held a special affection for the site and had personally ordered the sanctification project of Hyeonchungsa Shrine, immediately ordered a full-scale investigation across all agencies. As the investigation faced difficulties, he issued an ultimatum: those who surrendered or provided information would be granted a reward without punishment, but those who failed to comply would face severe penalties.

A clue to the case unexpectedly emerged from Busan. A man in his 30s in Busan reported to the Busan Metropolitan Police that he had heard suspicious stories regarding the 'War Diary' from his father at a local framing shop. The police raided the framing shop and began arresting those involved.

The investigation revealed that the crime was a meticulously planned operation by a professional cultural property theft ring led by a man known as "Mr. Yu." The mastermind, a man in his 30s, recruited former criminals to scout Hyeonchungsa Shrine in advance before ordering Pomade Lee and Player Jung to carry out the theft. A shop owner named Kang and a printing shop owner named Lee were tasked with transport and storage, while a broker known as Sailor Park was responsible for smuggling the items overseas. The group operated as a cell-based organization so that members did not know each other's identities, and the stolen 'War Diary' was on the verge of being handed over to the Japanese cultural property market through the broker.

Following the police pursuit, the national treasures, including the 'War Diary,' 'Imjin War Reports,' and 'Seoganjeop,' were discovered in a coal storage at the home of the printing shop owner, Lee. During the recovery process, a harrowing situation occurred when the wife of the framing shop owner threw three handwritten letters by Admiral Yi Sun-sin into a furnace to destroy evidence. Thanks to the detectives on the scene throwing themselves into the fire to save the letters, all artifacts were recovered without a single loss.

The One expressed relief, stating, "I had no idea there was such an organized and meticulous criminal plan," adding, "I didn't know the 'War Diary' would go through so much hardship." Kim Seul-ki empathized with those who had been anxiously waiting for the 'War Diary,' saying, "I imagine they must have felt so grateful."

Mr. Yu was a habitual offender who had stolen cultural properties even before the theft of the 'War Diary.' In 1963, he was arrested while pretending to be a monk at Bongeunsa in Seoul, attempting to sell the Bronze Incense Burner with Silver Inlay (Treasure No. 321). In 1966, he was caught attempting to sell an incense burner, a water dropper, and an iron Buddha statue stolen from Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do.

The court sentenced Mr. Yu to five years in prison and Lee to three years in prison, citing the recovery of the artifacts and their expressions of remorse. An accomplice, Jung, took his own life while under pressure from the manhunt.

Mr. Yu's crimes did not stop after his release. In 1974, he stole the 'Save the Nation and Relieve the People' plaque by Chusa Kim Jeong-hui from Donghyeolsa Temple to sell. In 1975, he arranged the sale of stolen goods including the Gilt-bronze Seated Vairocana Buddha Triad from Yeongtapsa Temple (Treasure No. 409). He was arrested again in 1976; while the other artifacts were recovered, the whereabouts of the 'Save the Nation and Relieve the People' plaque remain unknown to this day.

Even after being caught, Mr. Yu showed no remorse. He stated, "I felt truly proud to have held a national treasure in my hands," and added, "I am satisfied just by having touched and read the noble cultural assets created by our ancestors. I have no regrets about the crime." In response, Shin Sung expressed anger, calling him "very brazen" and "a truly wicked person."

The recovered 'War Diary' and related artifacts are currently stored in the storage facility at Hyeonchungsa Shrine, with public access restricted. The One remarked on the importance of national heritage, saying, "I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if the 'War Diary' hadn't been recovered. We might have lived our whole lives without ever knowing such a cultural heritage existed," while sharing deep regret and awareness regarding many other treasures that have yet to find their way home.

Following the broadcast, various reactions appeared on social media and online communities, including comments such as: "It is shocking that a national treasure was stolen," "I didn't even know the 'War Diary' had been stolen, and it's terrifying to think it almost went to Japan," "It was as immersive as watching a heist movie," "I am enraged by the brazen thief who said he felt proud after stealing a national treasure," "It is sad that there are still lost heritage sites," and "I feel grateful to those who worked hard to protect our cultural heritage."

Meanwhile, 'The Story of the Day' is a program where three storytellers study a topic and deliver their findings 1:1 to their "story friends" in everyday settings, airing every Thursday at 10:20 PM on SBS.

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