A Buddhist painting that was stolen over 30 years ago and found at a gallery in the United States was publicly displayed after being returned to the country.

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on Thursday held a ceremony in Seoul to mark the retrieval of "Sinjungdo" painting depicting Buddhism's divine guardians that belongs to Bomunsa Temple in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province.

Part of a trio of artworks created in 1767 by renowned Buddhist monk Hyejam, the Sinjungdo painting, along with the other two works, was stolen in June 1989 while being enshrined at the temple.

The other two paintings were successfully restituted in 2014.

The Korea Heritage Service and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation confirmed in 2023 that the lost painting was held by the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago.

The museum agreed to a voluntary and unconditional return late last year following a consultation with the Jogye Order.