Stone Seated Buddha Triad and Stone Standing Buddha in Bijung-ri, Cheongju

These two stone sculptures are presumed to have been made in the 6th century during the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE-668 CE). They are one of the oldest examples of a large Buddhist statue from this period.

The buddha triad is carved on a single stone and originally consisted of a buddha flanked by two attendant bodhisattvas. However, the right part of the stone with one of the bodhisattvas is missing, and the remaining stone was found broken into four pieces and has since been reattached. The buddha’s face and part of the left body are damaged, while the bodhisattva’s feet and pedestal are missing.

To either side of the buddha are depictions of miniature buddhas. There were originally five on each side, but four on the right are missing. The buddha sits upon a square pedestal. There was originally a pair of lions on both sides, however, only the tail of the lion on the left remain. The buddha’s robe hangs down, covering the pedestal. The bodhisattva wears a jeweled headdress with hair draped to cover both shoulders. The round ornaments on the bodhisattva’s shoulders, the folds of the robe, and wide skirt are features of 6th-century Buddhist sculpture.

The other statue depicts a standing buddha, with his halo and pedestal missing and face damaged. The buddha’s thick robe covers his body’s contours, and the ends of the robe extend outward. Both hands face palm outward, with his left hand pointed upward and his right hand pointed downward. These features are typical characteristics of Buddhist statues from the Three Kingdoms period.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08