The Surpeme Court ruled Thursday that a 14th-century Korean Buddhist statue, which had been taken to Japan but was brought back to Korea by thieves in 2012, should be returned to Japan, upholding a lower court s decision.
Hong Island, which has an area of about 6.5 square kilometers and a population of less than a thousand people, is located 115 kilometers southwest of Mokpo, South Jeolla Province. Its coastal areas have strange rock and bizarre stone formations. It has a variety of plant life such as evergreen trees, broad leaf ones and orchids.