The royal seal of a crown prince of the Joseon Dynasty has returned to South Korea from a museum in the United States.
 
The Cultural Heritage Administration on Wednesday held a ceremony at the National Palace Museum of Korea to mark the seal's return from the Seattle Art Museum.
 
The seal of Deokjong was produced under orders from Deokjong’s son and Joseon’s ninth king, Seongjong, to honor of his father who died without having assumed the throne.
 
Historical records say the seal, known as deokjongeobo in Korean, was kept at the Jongmyo Shrine until 1943, but was carried out of the country during Japanese colonial rule. The seal is said to have been donated to the Seattle Art Museum by an art collector in 1963.
 
Last year, the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Seattle Art Museum agreed to have the seal returned to South Korea in the form of a donation.