This case concerns the allegations that the director of a museum, referred to as the defendant, knowingly acquired 112 books, including *Chungmin Gong Gyecho* on October 13, 2011, knowing them to be concealed cultural properties, and subsequently transferred them to the National Maritime Museum on April 15, 2013.
The background of the case is as follows. In June 2007, the 15th head of the family of Admiral Yi Sun-sin requested A, a fellow church member, to help clean out old books and other waste materials stored at the family residence in Yeomchi-eup, Asan City, South Chungcheong Province. While discarding the old books, A stored 112 books, including *Chungmin Gong Gyecho*, at his residence. In late June 2011, A sold these books to B, a cultural property dealer, who then sold them to C, another dealer. Ultimately, the defendant acquired the books from C. At the time, the defendant had no knowledge that the books were unlawfully exported cultural property, and he strongly denied the allegations that *Chungmin Gong Gyecho* was a concealed cultural asset.
*Chungmin Gong Gyecho* and the other books had never been reported stolen or lost. The defendant confirmed at the time of purchase that these books were not listed as stolen or missing cultural property with the Cultural Heritage Administration. Therefore, the defendant claimed that there was no reason to suspect that *Chungmin Gong Gyecho* had been illicitly removed from the family of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, and asserted that he had acquired them through legitimate means.
Furthermore, the defendant verified that C, the seller, was a licensed cultural property dealer and followed all legal procedures, including obtaining a receipt for the purchase. After acquiring the books, the defendant transferred *Chungmin Gong Gyecho* to the National Maritime Museum. The museum, in turn, conducted a three-stage expert appraisal process before confirming that the books were neither stolen nor unlawfully obtained. The museum also followed public procedures to verify if the books were listed as stolen cultural property, but no issues were raised.
The defendant emphasized that *Chungmin Gong Gyecho* was not the same as the *Jang Gyecho-go* (or *Jang Gyecho-bon*), which had previously been reported missing from Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s family. While some scholars claimed that *Chungmin Gong Gyecho* was actually the *Jang Gye Byeolchaek* allegedly removed from the family’s collection, the defendant countered that these claims were unfounded. He asserted that the *Jang Gye Byeolchaek* did not actually exist, and even if it did, *Chungmin Gong Gyecho* was a completely different book in both content and appearance.
In conclusion, the defendant maintained that he did not conceal or illegally acquire *Chungmin Gong Gyecho* and called for a thorough investigation by the prosecution. He further argued that the demands to return *Chungmin Gong Gyecho* to the family of Admiral Yi Sun-sin or the Hyeonchungsa Shrine were legally unjustified and baseless.
Ultimately, the prosecution concluded the case with a ruling of *no charges*, clearing the defendant of all allegations.