An official channel will be created to bring back Korean cultural artifacts that were illegally taken to the United States.
 
The Cultural Heritage Administration in Seoul said it will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Washington on Tuesday with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
 
The MOU between the Korean administration and the U.S. federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security will ensure artifacts are returned.
 
The two agencies have worked together in the past to return stolen Korean art and antiquities in the U.S.
 
The heritage administration said the latest MOU came after it first proposed the agreement to the Homeland Security Investigations last November, following the U.S.’s return of nine ancient Korean seals.
 
The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict was adopted in 1954 following World War II. The convention paved the way under international law for cultural properties looted during wartime to be returned to their home countries.
 
But because of the convention's non-retroactivity rule, it could not be applied to artifacts taken overseas during the Korean War, which ended in 1953.
 
The Cultural Heritage Administration, however, says it has confirmed that Korean treasures taken to the U.S. during the Korean War can be seized and returned to Seoul under U.S. domestic law.