A South Korean court on Wednesday rejected a Buddhist temple's claim to a statue that it said Japanese pirates looted in the 14th century, clearing the way for Japan to press for its return.
The 20-inch gilt bronze statue of a Buddhist Bodhisattva was stolen from a Japanese temple in 2012 by South Korean thieves, who were caught trying to sell it after returning home.
The Buseoksa Temple in South Korea filed a legal case in 2016 claiming ownership of the statue, which has been in the custody of the government, saying Japanese pirates had plundered it in the 14th century.